Little Azkals off to Japan football event

CEBU, Philippines - The Little Azkals will leave for Japan today for the Japan-East Asean Football Exchange Program U-14 Youth Football Festival in Osaka.

From 22 players who saw action in the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) U-14 Festival of Football held in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia, only 18 got tickets to Japan as specified in the tournament rules.

Named into the final lineup for the week-long event are Cebuano booters Lawrence Colina, Major Dean Ebarle, Kintaro Miyagi, Vincent Erik Lovitos and the Italy-based Lorenzo Genco.

The other members of the team include Christian Floren Lapas and Jose Anton Yared of Dumaguete, Mason Trent Vergara of San Carlos City, Marco Alessandro Casambre, Harrel Rainier Dayan, Josh Albert Miller, Ray Vincent Sanciangco and John William Abraham of Manila, Darius Joseph Diamante and Javier Romero-Salas of Davao, Jeremiah Borlongan and Dimitri Lionel Limbo of Cagayan de Oro City and Sebastian Rafael Patangan of Dipolog

The 18 youngsters were chosen based on their overall performance from the training camp in Italy up to last week's tournament in Malaysia. (FREEMAN)