Ceres-Negros FC will be playing their first international match this afternoon in the 2018 AFC Champions League qualifying play-offs against Myanmar National League champions Shan United FC.

Since winning the inaugural Philippines Football League (PFL), the club has recruited goalkeeper Antonio ‘Toni’ Doblas, defenders Sean Patrick Kane and Amani Aguinaldo, striker Takumi Uesato, and midfielder Mike Ott. Despite currently being on injury, Aguinaldo, a signing from Global Cebu FC, will be a great asset to Ceres FC once he is fully recovered.

The Negrense club, however, also said goodbye to Iain Ramsay, Fernando Rodríguez, Kota Kawase, Joshua Grommen, and Luke Woodland.

Global, meanwhile, is under new management and picked up Jordan Jarvis, formerly of Davao Aguilas FC; however, the club also let go of Misagh Bahadoran.

Kaya FC-Makati is considering a possible move to Iloilo after key players met with Iloilo Governor Arthur Defensor, Sr.

“We [will] know at the end of this month,” said Edwin Laru-an, Iloilo provincial director for football, noting they are waiting on the Iloilo Provincial Board to allow Defensor to sign a memorandum of agreement on behalf of the province.

Not everything went right for Philippine football in the new year.

FC Meralco Manila announced they were ceasing operations early last week, claiming they were unable to arrange for new investors.

The 2018 PFL season, scheduled to kick off late next month, will be comprised of seven clubs./JSG, WDJ