United Football League partners with AKTV; signs 5-year TV deal

United Football League, a local football league in the Philippines has just recently signed a five-year contract with AKTV, a local sports channel as it aims to bolster the game in which the AZKALS have helped kickstarted.

In the contract between AKTV and UFL, there will be two live UFL matches that will be shown every Saturday beginning October 8, 2011 with the televised matches played at the Rizal Memorial Football Stadium and non-televised games played at the University of Makati.

The season kicks off with the UFL Cup where 28 teams, including 13 guest squads, will compete for slots in the UFL’s Division II.

Group A: Nomads FC, Baguio FC, Union Internacional FC, Lions FC

Group B: Loyola Meralco Sparks FC, Internacionale FC, Agila FC, Team Socceroo FC

Group C: Global FC, Pachanga FC, Stallions FC, Cebu Queen City FC

Group D: Kaya-Cignal FC, ABC Stars FC, Schwarz, Diliman Victory Liner FC

Group E: Philippine Air Force FC, Philippine Navy FC, Manila All-Japan FC, Laos FC

Group F: Green Archers United FC, Dolphins United FC, Pasargad FC, Forza FC

Group G: Philippine Army FC, Manhur FC, Sunken Garden United FC, and Garuda FC PH

Different AZKALS players will be distributed amongst the different clubs participating in the league.

Loyola Spark FC will have Phil and James Younghusband with former national teammates Mark and Matthew Hartmann.

The Azkals’ Fil-Spanish striker Angel Guirado and Fil-Iranian Misagh Bahadoran will be donning the colors of Global FC.

Kaya FC will have Aly Borromeo, Anton del Rosario, Jason Sabio, Yannick Tuason, and Nate Burkey in uniform.

Philippine Air Force FC has scoring threats Chieffy Caligdong and Ian Araneta in harness while rival Philippine Army FC features Roel Gener and Nestor Margarse.

This will definitely be a fun league to watch as we see the different AZKALS players compete against one another. And with the continued support of the public and the Filipino people,
football is getting a much needed shot in the arm, as it popularity continues to grow in this basketball crazy country.

Sports: Azkals to play at Rizal Memorial Sports Coliseum

Finally! A home game within reach of spectators from the metro. Azkals will be playing their home game against Sri Lanka for the first leg of the Asian qualifying round for the 2014 World Cup on July 3, 2011.

After the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) made an inspection of the century old stadium, the Philippine Football Federation (PFF) and the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) announced that the Azkals will be playing at the Rizal Memorial Coliseum in Manila.

In line with that San Miguel Corp. has promised that they will help fund the renovation of the coliseums grandstand seats and score board. Also part of the assistance and grant is the repainting, construction of additional locker rooms and media center which is estimated to cost more than a million pesos.

This is a very welcoming news to all football fans in general and not just Azkals since this would only mean that there would be more football games that will be held in the historic coliseum. Also it will be within an arms reach of football afficionados from Metro Manila and nearby provinces.