PFF-Smart football finals set Feb. 02

CEBU, Philippines -  The Philippine Football Federation (PFF) together with wireless services provider and local football supporter Smart Communications, Inc. (Smart) is setting up the field for the conclusion of its national football tournament.

The PFF-Smart National Club Championship, the country’s biggest football tournament for PFF member football associations, will culminate in a finals match happening on February 2 at the Rizal Memorial Stadium in Manila.

Vying for the championship are the remaining four teams that survived the elimination, round of 16 and quarter finals rounds held in key provinces and cities across the country.

The semifinals, which will determine the teams advancing to the finals match, will be held on January 26, also at the Rizal Memorial Stadium.

“After almost three months and several matches, we will finally know this edition’s champion team which will not only win the title but also the distinction of being ‘The Best Club in the Nation’,” said Epok Quimpo, Smart Sports manager.

The first semifinal match will be between Ceres-La Salle FC (Negros Occidental Football Association) and Kaya FC. The second match will see Green Archers United FC battling it out with Pasargad FC.

Out of the four semi-finalists, only Ceres-La Salle emerged from the provincial clusters, with the other 3 coming from the National Capital Region.

The PFF-Smart National Club Championship pitted more than 50 football associations from all over Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao and the United Football League (UFL) against each other in a series of knock-out rounds that started in October last year.

This is the second year that the Philippines’ official football governing body is holding the national football championship with Smart.

Last tournament’s crown was won by Global FC/Teknika from the NCR cluster. (FREEMAN)