Copa Alcantara slated

The Copa Paulino Alcantara, the country’s top domestic cup competition, will take place instead of the Philippines Football League season on Nov. 7 at the National Training Center in Carmona, Cavite.

The Philippine Football Federation officially announced the decision Wednesday a er attempts to stage this year’s PFL season fell through following multiple postponements caused by restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“As much as we would have wanted to stage the PFL season, certain key conditions were not met, which forced us to defer the league season for next year,” said PFF president Nonong Araneta. “In its place, the PFF will stage the Copa Paulino Alcantara. We are one with the fans who miss football being played in the country during this pandemic.”

Named a er Filipino great Paulino Alcantara who played for Barcelona in the 1920s, the Copa had been held twice in 2018 and 2019 but was cancelled last year when the global pandemic forced the PFL to shorten its season to two weeks under a bubble setup in Carmona.

Initial plans were for the Copa to be held last April but the pandemic again forced another cancellation as the PFL decided to focus on starting the league season.