Souped-up Global Cebu faces Vietnam in AFC Cup opener
New-look Global Cebu FC will kick off the Philippines’ campaign in the AFC Cup on Feb. 10 with a Group G road game against Vietnamese side FLC Thanh Hoa in Hanoi.
The Cebu-based booters aim to be competitive in the international club competition despite undergoing changes during the off-season.
Now owned by Alvin Carranza who took over from Dan Palami, Global recently signed up Curt Dizon, Lee Jeong-min, Daniel Gadia and Jinggoy Valmayor from the disbanded FC Meralco Manila and Chima Uzoka and Angelo Marasigan from on-leave Ilocos United to fill the void left by former mainstays Misagh Bahadoran, Dennis Villanueva and Amani Aguinaldo.
Former skipper Bahadoran jumped over to Perak in the Malaysian Super League while Villanueva and Aguinaldo moved to Davao and Ceres Negros, respectively.
Global will aim to surpass its Asean zone semifinal stint in the previous AFC Cup with former assistant Marjo Allado calling the shots.
After the Vietnam match, Global will host Indonesian team Bali United at home, likely at Rizal Memorial Stadium, on. Feb. 27 then fly to Myanmar for the March 7 duel with Yangon United to end the first round of the double round robin homeand-away group stage.
Its domestic rival, Ceres Negros FC will open its bid over in Group F on Feb. 13 against Cambodian squad Boeung Ket FC at Panaad Stadium in Bacolod.
The Busmen, the 2017 Asean zonal titlists, will later play two familiar foes, Home United in Singapore (Feb. 27) and then Shan United of Myanmar at home (March 6). Home was Ceres’ rival in the AFC Cup Asean zone finals last year while Shan was their opponent in the first stage of the AFC Champions League Qualifiers last month.