Davao City sweeps reg’l FOF

THE Davao Football Association (Davao FA) of Davao City swept all three divisions of the just-concluded Philippine Football Federation (PFF) Mindanao Regional Festival of Football at the Tionko field.

Davao FA, mentored by Reynalyn Ravanes and Analou Ingles, dusted off Davao del Norte FA, 15-0, for the girls 14-under title. Goal scorers were Joyce Semacio(first, seventh minutes’), Michaela Louise Co (fourth, fifth,), Lea Therese Reyes (ninth, 14th), Patricia Erika Francisco (17th, 28th, 43rd, 46th, 48th), Moira Isabella Calizo (42nd, 58th), Chiyo Marasigan (49th) and Joannah Adao (56th).

In boys 11-under, the Ramonito Carreon-coached Davao FA hacked out a rousing 8-0 win over Davao del Norte FA behind the goals of Jericho Romero (2nd); Jasper Lim (4th, 14th, 18th, & 26th), Amir Amaikurat (sixth, 56th) and Alex Verkley (47th).

The Davao FA boys 13-under team of coach Alex Adolfo, meanwhile, blanked Davao del Norte, 6-0, before crush- ing Compostela Valley, 4-0, to grab a total of six points. Comval and Davao del Norte earned one point each having held each other to a 1-1 standoff in the three-team single round robin format division.

Davao FA’s twin victories were courtesy of Julius Ponpon, Charles Ybanez, Ronald Penales, John Mark Diamat, Khalil Jikiri, Noel Capuyan Jr., Neilser Lampios and Khalil Jikiri.

Selected players underwent skills testing but PFF has yet to release the final list of qualified players who may be considered to join the boys and girls national teams that will compete in the Asian Football Confederation’s Festival of Football.

Davao FA general secretary Erwin Protacio said PFF technical director Aris Caslib, Mindanao Center for Exellence director Percy Guarin, national team coach Eliezer Fabroada, and Mindanao Grassroots coordinator Albert Ryan Lim observed and scouted the players who will compose the selection pool for the national team in these age groups.

Dabawenyos Jed Diamante and Javier Romero-Salas formed part of the Little Azkals that played in Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia while Patricia Francisco, Joannah Adao, Bea de Luna, Moira Calizo, Arwen Allado, and Joyce Semacio made it to the Philippine U13 Girls Team that saw action in the Girls Festival of Football in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam last year.

Davao FA thanked parents, coaches, clubs and schools of players, Barangay Mintal and UP Mindanao for making the three-day festival a success.