By ADRIAN STEWART CO

The Negros Oriental-Siquijor Regional Football Association (NOSIRFA) and Cebu Regional Football Association (CRFA) played to a scoreless draw in the PFF U16 Boys Visayas qualifiers at the San Julio Realty Football Field in Negros Occidental’s San Carlos City on Sunday, January 18.

The match marked a shift from the high-scoring games on opening day, with both teams relying on defensive discipline as neither side managed to find the back of the net.

Cebu, one of the tournament favorites under head coach Jun-Jun Pintuan, controlled much of the possession but was unable to convert its chances against a compact NOSIRFA defense.

The CRFA side featured key attacking players such as Kent Ivan Malazarte and Clark Josol, yet failed to break through over the full 90 minutes.

For NOSIRFA, the draw provided a much-needed boost after suffering a 7-1 loss to Iloilo-Guimaras in their opening match.

The clean sheet earned them their first point of the tournament and kept them in contention as the qualifiers continue.

Both teams are set to return to action in the coming days as the Visayas qualifiers resume amid a tight competition schedule./ASC, WDJ