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[av_heading heading=’Global to debut in 2017 AFC Champions League’ tag=’h3′ style=’blockquote modern-quote’ size=” subheading_active=’subheading_below’ subheading_size=’15’ padding=’10’ color=” custom_font=”]
BY ADRIAN STEWART CO
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MANILA – Reigning United Football League champion Global Football Club is set to play in the qualification phase of the 2017 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Champions League slated January 2017.
In a statement sent to Panay News, the Philippine Football Federation said that Global earned a ticket in the east zone qualification stage of the prestigious football tournament after sweeping two titles in the 2016 UFL season.
This marks the first time that the country is sending a representative to the Asia’s biggest club football competition. The Philippines is ranked 11 among 12 countries in the region.
However, Global is expected to have a tough time moving into the group stage as it has to face Singapore’s Tampines Rovers on Jan. 24, Brisbane Roar of Australia on Jan. 31 and China’s Shanghai Shenhua on Feb. 7.
If ever Global fails to beat one or all of the three teams, they will be relegated to the group stage of the Asian Football Confederation Cup, the region’s second-tier club tournament.
The top six clubs for the countries in the East Zone were given direct entries to the group stage of the Asian Champions League while the bottom six were given slots in the preliminary rounds.
Two slots are allotted for the Philippines in the AFC Cup. The other has already been secured by the Ceres-Negros Football Club, the second placer in the UFL tournament this year.
If Global miraculously makes it to the Champions League group stage, the Loyola Meralco Sparks Football League, third-placers in the UFL league, will be nominated for the other AFC Cup berth./PN
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