SOME 90 hopefuls from the region are currently in Cebu for the two-day tryouts for the Philippine 16 and 19-under national teams at the Dynamic Herb Sports Complex on April 23 and 24.
Central Visayas Regional Football Association president Rodney Orale said the two-day trials will be supervised by the Philippine Football Federation, which sent football director Vince Santos, PFF technical study group member Josep Maria Ferre, and U16 head coach Yuki Matsuda to oversee the tryouts as well as PFF youth development officer Tetsuya Tsuchida and grassroots development officer Dave Javellana.
“Those chosen from the tryouts will join the national pool in Manila and those selected will be competing in the AFF U16 championships in June in Indonesia,” said Orale.
Orale said that he wanted to organize a mini-tournament for the U19 tryouts but because of classes, only two squads have confirmed, the Don Bosco Technological Center and the Cebu Football Club.
The Cebu tryouts is one of three that will be held for the Visayas with three others at San Carlos City, Bago City and Barotac Nuevo.
“The last tryouts will be in Mindanao and after that, those chosen will go to Manila to join the training pool,” said Orale. / ML