3 Cebuano booters make it to Philippine U-16 squad

MANILA, Philippines - Three promising Cebuano booters made it to the final cast of the Philippine Under-16 football team, also known as the young Azkals, that will represent the country to the FF Under-16 Youth Football Championships starting on July 7 in Vientiane, Laos.

They are goal keeper Antonio Eduardo Rafols of Paref-Springdale, left winger Yves Caballero of Don Bosco Technology Center and Renko Gaudiel of Bright Academy.

The young Azkals already left Cebu after almost a month of extenstive training mainly under the University of Cebu-METC facility.

Before leaving for Laos, the RP U-16 squad under team manager Alvin Carranza held tune-up games in Dumaguete, San Carlos, Bacolod and Manila.

“We are all very excited. We have bonded with the players, their parents and the coaching staff. Nonong Araneta (PFF president) is also very excited to have this team. We hope this could be a start of something else for Philippine football,” said Caranza.

The PHL bets of Cebuano coach Glenn Ramos are pooled in bracket B with defending champion Vietnam, Singapore, Myanmar and Cambodia, while host Laos is in group A along with Malaysia, Thailand, Timor-Leste and Indonesia. – THE FREEMAN