MANILA – Brazilian-Japanese midfielder Daniel Matsunaga revived his football career by joining the Maharlika FC, which is seeking a license to compete in the 2020 Philippines Football League.
The 31-year-old Matsunaga, who was part of the Stallion Sta. Lucia FC team that won a United Football League (UFL) title in 2013, will serve as one of the foreign players of Maharlika.
“I am excited to share the field with younger teammates and fight for something that we all in Maharlika have in common—our passion for football,” Matsunaga said in an interview with Kick Off PH.
“I have been playing football all my life and I have seen how football in general has been growing in the Philippines,” he added. “We have many plans for the team and we want to make it to the top together with all the support of our fans.”
The six-foot-one Matsunaga started his football career in the country for the Team Socceroo in the UFL Division 2 in 2011 before moving to Division 1 with Pachanga Diliman a year later.
In 2013, Matsunaga was signed up by Stallion-Laguna and won his first-ever championship before jumping to Kaya Football Club, where he stayed for a year before concentrating on acting.
Matsunaga will join playing team owner Anton Del Rosario, Simon Greatwich, Cedric Martinez-Hodreal, Joaco Canas, Enrique Ortiz, Julian Del Valle, and Jerry Barbaso in the squad to be handled by Bongbong Roxy Dorlas./PN
