Despite potential clash with Azkals friendly , UFL to kick off league competition Feb 5

Karl Decena, InterAKTV

Despite facing a possible conflict with a scheduled friendly match of the Philippine national men’s football team, the new season of the United Football League will still push through next month.


The League competition will start on February 5, with the Philippine Army facing the Loyola Meralco Sparks in the first game and defending champion Global FC battling Pasargad FC in the nightcap, according to UFL marketing manager Coco Torre. Those matches will be played a day before the Azkals face Myanmar in a friendly game on February 6 in Yangon.

The little window between the matches raised concerns about the clubs’ willingness to lend its players to the Azkals, as well as the players who could not suit up for their squad in its first match of the season.

The Army, Sparks and Global have a handful of players who are members of the Azkals, namely Eduard Sacapaño, Phil and James Younghusband, Patrick Reichelt and Denis Wolf, among others.

Despite that, the UFL assured that a club versus country scenario won’t happen.

“Clubs are to release their national team players (for the Azkals friendly),” Torre said, adding that the league will not move its scheduled opening on February 5.

Last season, the UFL moved some of its matches to give way to a number of Azkals friendly games, including the Cup final which was close to the national team’s preparations for the ASEAN Football Federation Suzuki Cup last year.

But last year, some clubs refused to release its players for the Azkals after the national team’s match against South Korean side Icheon Citizens clashed with UFL matches on the same day.

World governing football body FIFA obliges clubs to release their players if a national team match is slated on an international match date. It has long marked February 6 in its international match calendar.

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