Ceres Negros enlists 2 Azkals

MANILA, Philippines - Ceres Negros FC has acquired two more Azkals mainstays as it continues its buildup for the Philippine Football League and the AFC Cup hostilities.

Ceres marketing manager Ace Bright said defender Simone Rota from Stallion Laguna FC and Fil-Australian Iain Ramsay are joining the Busmen.

“It’s confirmed,” Bright said of Rota’s transfer to Ceres from his long-time club Stallion FC. “Iain Ramsay is also coming.”

Rota is recovering from an ACL injury that sidelined him from the Azkals’ Suzuki Cup campaign last year. Stallion coach Ernie Nierras, in an interview on News5, confirmed they have released Rota to the Negros-based squad.

Nierras expressed confidence the holdovers at Stallion could fill in the void left by Rota, noting how his wards bucked the absence of the injured veteran to win six of their last seven assignments in windup of the United Football League.

Ramsay is set to bring his act to Phl after plying his trade overseas, the last with Tractor Sazi Tabriz FC in Iran.

Before the two nationals, the Busmen had previously signed up another Azkal, OJ Porteria, as well as Jason de Jong, Junior Munoz and Joshua Grommen and foreign players Kota Kawase, Manuel Herrera and Fernando Rodriguez.