CEBU, Philippines - First impression lasts. This really holds true for what the Cebu Football Association (CFA) under the leadership of Ricky Dakay has done to Cebu football.
And their efforts were not left unnoticed as Philippine Football Federation (PFF) president Mariano “Nonong” Araneta promised to bring more international events in the Queen City of the South after Cebu's highly successful staging of the friendly match between the Philippine Azkals and the Singapore Lions the other night at the full-packed Cebu City Sports Center.
“It’s very exhilarating. The crowd is amazing. Definitely its not going to be last. More friendly and bigger tournaments to come here in Cebu,” said Araneta.
Araneta said Cebu can even host the prestigious Challenge Cup for 2014 if PFF wins in the bidding process.
Araneta was so impressed that with such a very short period of time, Cebu was able to keep up with the demands on hosting an event of such magnitude, especially in transforming the rocky, 'bald' and bumpy field into a manicured pitch of FIFA standard.
What's more fascinating is that the PFF did not spend a single centavo for the gargantuan task it handed down to Cebu, according to Araneta.
CFA only had two months to prepare and barely a month to rehabilitate the field, but with Engr. Rodney Orale and brothers Dino and Raffy Musni supervising the work, everything went on smoothly and to the satisfaction of Azkals coach Hans Michael Weiss.
Aside from seeking help from the Alta Vista Golf and Country Club, the Cebu Country Club also helped out by lending its high-end equipment for the rehabilitation of the field.
“I can't describe what I feel right now. It's like I'm floating. Floating in extreme happiness," said Orale, a member of the CFA Board.
Aside from Orale, all other CFA Board members had specific assignments that made Ricky Dakay so proud of what he called “team”.
Mayor Michael Rama said the success of the 'Face Off proved that the Cebuanos’ togetherness can really make things happen.
And for some fans, the Azkals' 1-0 victory over the Lions was just an icing to the cake as Cebu is the biggest winner as its hosting of the historic event was a resounding success. (FREEMAN)