Ceres beefs up for AFC, PFL

MANILA, Philippines – Ceres-Negros FC is retooling its squad ahead of its quest in the AFC Cup as well as the Philippine Football League’s kickoff tournament.

The Busmen, reported Panay News, have signed up seven new recruits armed with experience in international play led by Azkals midfielder OJ Porteria and former national booter Jason de Jong.

Porteria, member of the Azkals team that competed in the 2016 AFF Suzuki Cup, is returning to the country after leaving former club Kaya FC middle of last year. De Jong, a former Azkal himself, also hooked up with the Negros-based side along with defenders Junior Muñoz and Joshua Grommen, who were part of the Azkals pool at some point.

Japanese Kota Kawase and Spanish pair Manuel Herrera and Fernando Rodriguez have also come in to join forces with holdovers that included another ace from Spain Bienvenido Maranon and Azkals mainstays Manny Ott, Martin Steuble, Kevin Ingreso, Jeffrey Christiaens and Patrick Reichelt.

The Busmen are set to compete in Group G of the AFC Cup, Asia’s second-tier club competition. They kick off their quest on the road on Feb. 21 against a Vietnamese rival, either Hanoi FC or SHB Da Nang.

After the away game in Vietnam, Ceres hosts back-to-back fixtures at home against Tampines Rovers or Geylang International from Singapore on March 7 and Felda United from Malaysia on March 15. Their third home assignment is slated April 19 against either Hanoi FC or SHB Da Nang.

“In anticipation of this year’s AFC Cup qualifying round, our club has started  training and is 100 percent committed to rise to the occasion and make our beloved province proud,” club owner Leo Rey Yanson said.

The Busmen seek to continue their inroads internationally.

Last year, the Busmen made history by progressing to the knockout stage of the AFC Cup, a feat they shared with Kaya FC. Both Ceres and Kaya bombed out after losing in the Round-of-16. The Negros-based squad later scored with a historic bronze medal in the invitational Singapore Cup in 2016.

At the same time, Ceres likewise aims to regain dominance in Phl club footbal after settling for runner-up to Global in UFL action. The Busmen and Global renew their rivalry in the new PFL.