AFC U-16 qualifying tilt under way

MANILA, Philippines - The AFC U-16 Women’s Championship 2011 Qualifying Round 1 (Group A) starts today with fancied Vietnam going up against Singapore at the University of Makati football field.

The event, which draws five countries, including the RP side, is the second qualifying tournament the country is hosting in less than a month, an indication of the country’s good image among Asian Football Confederation (AFC) officials.

The RP Under-16 faces a tall order but it hopes to give its rivals a stiff challenge in the event serving as a follow-up to its successful staging of the AFC Under-19 Women’s Championship Group A Qualifiers last month.

Vietnam, a rising power in the region, is tipped to dominate the event organized by the Philippine Football Federation and sponsored by the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC).

Also taking part in the 10-day tournament are Singapore, Guam and Timor Leste.

The teams play a single round robin with the No. 1 team advancing to the next phase of the event.

Vietnam starts its campaign against Singapore at 9 a.m. while Guam collides with Timor Leste at 3 p.m.

The RP Under-16 sees action on Sunday against Guam before facing Timor Leste on Tuesday, Vietnam on Friday and Singapore on Sunday.