Amani Aguinaldo

Amani Aguinaldo

150px Aguinaldo with the Philippine national team
Personal information
Full name	Amani Manuel Santos Aguinaldo
Date of birth	(1995-04-24) 24 April 1995
Place of birth	Las Piñas, Philippines
Height
Position(s)	Defender
Team information
Current team	Global
Number	12
Youth career
2012–2013	Loyola
College career
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
	Far Eastern University
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2013–	Global	27	(1)
International career‡
2006	Philippines U-14
2013	Philippines U-19	5	(0)
2014–	Philippines U-21	2	(0)
2012–	Philippines U-22	2	(0)
2013–	Philippines U-23	1	(0)
2013–	Philippines	23	(0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 5 April 2016

Amani Manuel Santos Aguinaldo (born 24 April 1995), is a Filipino footballer who plays as a defender mainly as a Centre Back for Global in the United Football League, and Philippines national team.

Education

Aguinaldo attended Ateneo de Davao until grade 6 and transferred to Far Eastern University – FERN College where he attended high school. Aguinaldo is taking Sports Science at the University of the Philippines. As of December 2014, he is on his second year.

Career

Club career

After Aguinaldo was scouted by Coach Kim Chul-soo and program director Vince Santos both from Far Eastern University, which prompted him to transfer to Far Eastern University – FERN College where he attended high school. He played a year with the Far Eastern University at the college level before moving to the University of the Philippines.

He was later signed with the Loyola Meralco Sparks where he debuted as a substitute player at Loyala's stint at the 2012 Singapore Cup. He later transferred to Global.

International career

In August 2013, he was named in the 21-man squad for the international friendly match against Indonesia on 14 August 2013. He earned his first senior international cap on the said match by replacing James Younghusband in 63rd minute.

He made his first appearance for the under-23 national team in the 1–0 friendly match loss against Singapore on 13 June 2013.

Aguinaldo was a member of the Philippines' squad at both the 2014 AFC Challenge Cup and the 2014 AFF Championship, reaching the finals and semi-finals respectively in each competition. During the latter tournament Aguinaldo was involved in a fair bit of controversy in the first leg of the semi-final as Thai striker Adisak Kraisorn was sent off for an off the ball altercation with the Filipino defender. It appeared that Aguinaldo might have provoked the confrontation and afterwards he and other Filipino footballers received threats from Thai fans.

Personal life

Aguinaldo is an only child of Ariel and Maida Aguinaldo who both had roots to Davao. His name Amani is derived from an African title meaning both "warrior" and "peace". He was born in Las Piñas, but due to his parent's professions his family moved to Cebu and then Davao City where Aguinaldo spent most of his childhood, before moving back to the Manila area where he attended high school. Aguinaldo took up football from his father at the age of five, and nine years later he was called up to the Philippines U-14 by future Loyola coach Kim Chul-soo. At the age of 17 Aguinaldo was selected to play for the u-21 side at the 2012 Hassanal Bolkiah Trophy. During the tournament Aguinaldo was roomed with twins Marwin and Marvin and became good friends with both. His favorite teams are Manchester City, Bayern Munich, A.C. Milan, and Real Madrid, although his favorite footballer is Lionel Messi.