U14 Pinoy squad wins third place at the Borneo Football Cup

Members of the third-place winning U14 squad from the Philippines

The U14 team from the Philippines, represented by players of the youth teams of Global FC and Laos FC, won third place in its age group at this year’s Borneo Football Cup, a tournament organized by the Football Association of Malaysia through its member Sabah Football Association. The matches for their division were held from September 21-23 at the Penampang Stadium in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, East Malaysia. 

The third-place finish is the highest rank for any Pinoy team in the said tournament which Philippine clubs have been joining since 2013. 

Members of the winning squad included discoveries from grassroots development football programs—Jill Pillora of Iloilo, Nicolai Abalos of Laguna, Josh Asignar and Tristan Enad of Cebu, and Drexler Valencia of Dumaguete, who were scouted in their hometowns in 2013 and brought to the UK for elite training by the British Council and Pru Life UK; and Gregrory Tacondong who was a standout at the Football for a Better Life event held early this year In Gingoog, Misamis Oriental.

Alfredo Ray Estacion and Richard Jay Alipar served as coaches. Spears FC, Azkals Foundation and Pru Life UK supported the delegation.  

The boys’ participation at the 2016 Borneo Football Cup was authorized by the Philippine Football Federation (PFF). In a message posted on the PFF website on September 22, PFF General Secretary Edwin B. Gastanes said, “The PFF Affiliate clubs, Global FC and Laos FC, have been joining the Borneo Cup for two years to date. The teams these local clubs send are not national teams, although may have players who are in the national team pool.

“The PFF’s authorization for these youth clubs to compete at the international setting is in line with its objective to train and expose Filipino youth players to further their development in football.”

source by: "sports.abs-cbn.com"