Aboitiz football moved

THE 16th Aboitiz Football Cup, the biggest football tournament in Cebu will be moved to a later date.

Dino Musni of the Aboitiz Football Cup organizing committee announced yesterday that the event, originally slated to start this Saturday, will be held in December instead. He however, failed to give a specific date.

According to Musni, they will also depend on the United Football Club (UFL) to decide on which teams from its roster will play during the opening of the Aboitiz Cup.

“We are waiting for UFL’s decision which team they will be sending here to highlight the opening of the Aboitiz Football Cup,” Musni told Cebu Daily News (CDN).

Initially, it was announced that the Green Archers United Globe led by PHL Azkals frontliner Emilio “Chiefy” Caligdong and the Loyola Meralco Sparks FC headed by the Younghusband brothers – James and Phil will clash during the meet’s opening.

The plan however, was shelved when it was learned that the three football stars are set to fly to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) for a friendly match at the Zayed Sports City Stadium, Abu Dhabi.

Some 16 teams are competing in the centerpiece Men’s Open division while six squads are vying in the 36-and-above. Another 21 teams have enlisted in the under-13 boys while the boys-15 division attracted 19 teams. The boys 17-under class has 17 entries while the other divisions in the 16th Aboitiz Football Cup include the under-7, under-9, under-11, under-15 girls, under-18 girls, under-23 boys, men and women’s inter-BPO and inter-company divisions. /CORRESPONDENT DALE G. ROSAL