By FRANCIS SANTIAGO
MANILA, Philippines � The Philippine Football Federation (PFF) announced on Thursday it has struck a deal with Asia Brewery to stage an international football competition featuring the Philippine Azkals later this year.
Dubbed as the 1st Manila Beer Cup, the event will see three other Southeast Asian teams going up the Azkals in a single round robin format where the team with most number of victories emerging as champion.
PFF chief Mariano Araneta said he sat down with Hubert Tan, Asia Brewery's vice president for sales, on Tuesday and they agreed to stage the tourney sometime in October at the Rizal Memorial football stadium in Manila.
Asia Brewery donated P250,000 to the Azkals' campaign in the recent AFF Suzuki Cup in Indonesia where the nationalteam, beefed up by Fil-foreigners, reached the semifinals for the first time.
"We might invite teams from Vietnam, Thailand, Singapore and Malaysia to join in the four-nation competition," Araneta said.
Araneta said he will extend the invitation to the countries' respective officials during the Asean Football Federation (AFF) meeting on Feb. 19.
Meanwhile, Araneta said the Panaad Stadium in the Bacolod City is being spruced up in time for the Azkals' 2012 AFC qualifying game against Mongolia on Feb. 9.
"The lighting is now being fixed while the dressing rooms are under going renovations," said Araneta, noting that part of the budget used for the reconstruction came from the P1-million fund released by the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC).
Giant TV network ABS-CBN will telecast the highly-anticipated match, which is the first leg of the home-and-away qualifier with the second meeting set March 15 at the National Stadium in Ulan Bator in Mongolia.
Manila Bulletin
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