Mendiola eyes AFC Cup berth
Mendiola FC will be focused on chasing a slot in the AFC Cup when it competes in the upcoming season of the Philippine Football League (PFL) next month.
Head coach Nhiboy Pedimonte said they are looking to come up with a strong performance in a bid to qualify in the AFC Cup next year.
Pedimonte said their training inside a bubble setup at the Philippine Football Federation training facility in Carmona, Cavite is in full blast and his wards are in high morale, hoping to earn a ticket on the prestigious continental tournament.
Only the top two teams in the PFL would qualify in the AFC Cup.
Last year, powerhouse squads Ceres Negros FC and Kaya Iloilo FC bagged the honors.
The Busmen, however, changed their ownership group, prompting new team United City FC to take over its AFC Cup slot with practically in intact roster bannered by Philippine Azkals skipper Stephan Schrock.
“We always talk within the team and the main target this season is to get that AFC Cup slot,” Pedimonte, who is also the head coach of San Beda University in the National Collegiate Athletic Association, said.
“The limited training situation is very hard now, but the players are cooperating very well with us.”
Pedimonte said they are banking on their impressive run in the 2019 Copa Paulino Alcantara, where they put a gallant stand before bowing to United City FC in the semifinals.
We always talk within the team and the main target this season is to get that AFC Cup slot.
Tipped to carry the cudgels are skipper Ashley Flores and Nimrod Balabat together with reinforcements like Iranian striker Hamed Hajimehdi and Ivorian stopper Dini Outtara.
“We have already shown it in the last Copa Alcantara, but we fell short there. We are hoping that this season, we can have our best shot as a challenger for an AFC Cup slot,” Pedimonte said.
“I know it’s a huge task for the team. But in reality, I know that we can shoot for that slot.”