MANILA – Twelve Western Visayas-based players will suit up in the 2020 Philippines Football League (PFL) at the PFF National Training Center in Carmona, Cavite beginning Sunday.
Kaya Futbol Club-Iloilo has the most number of local players with Ilonggos Jovin Bedic (Barotac Nuevo) and Shirmar Felongco (Calinog) and Negrenses Camelo Tacusalme and Jalson Soriano (Talisay City) and Jayson Panhay (San Carlos City).
Stallion Laguna Football Club, on the other hand, has three Ilonggo football players in veterans Ruben Doctora (Barotac Nuevo) and Jesus Melliza (La Paz, Iloilo City) and Jo Warren Bedia.
United City Football Club (formerly Ceres-Negros FC) has two in Arnie Pasinabo of San Carlos City, Negros Occidental and Tristan Kit Robles of Calinog.
Mendiola 1991 Football Club also has two Ilonggo players in Barotac Nuevo-native John Celiz and Santa Barbara’s Jay Shaun Soberano.
Other two football clubs competing in the PFL bubble are Maharlika-Manila Football Club and Azkals Developmental Team.
Just like in the previous League tournaments, the champion squad will be determined based on the accumulated points after the single-round robin competition among six competing football squads.
While five is too few for a number of matches per club this year, Philippine Football Federation secretary general Ed Gastanes said it will not affect PFL’s participation in next year’s Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Champions League.
“Because of the pandemic, both FIFA and the AFC have authorized the leagues and the NA’s (national associations) to shorten the league duration. We have been told that we are free to do that without violating any regulation,” he said.
The champion of this year’s PFL season will get an outright spot in the AFC Champions League group stages while the runner-up will enter the AFCCL qualifying phase./PN
