Arda Cinkir (left) and Chima Uzoka (right) during their stint with the Cebu FC in the PFL. | Photo from the PFL
CEBU CITY, Philippines — The Cebu Football Club (CFC) Gentle Giants welcomed back four former players to suit up for them in the Copa Paulino Alcantara.
The club officially announced their reinforced roster a few days before they start campaigning in the Copa Paulino Alcantara on Sunday against the University of the Philippines (UP) at their home pitch in the Dynamic Herb-Borromeo Sports Complex at the South Road Properties (SRP) in Cebu City.
Turkish forward Arda Cinkir, who played for them in the first half of the Philippines Football League (PFL), leads the Gentle Giants’ returning players.
Cinkir was best known as one of the Turkish dynamic duo that led CFC in scoring in the recent PFL season. The other Turkish player was Mert Altinoz, who was recently released by the club.
In one of their PFL matches, Cinkir scored a hat trick or three goals for CFC versus Mendiola 1991 in 2022.
Also rejoining the team is Nigerian striker Chima Uzoka, one of CFC’s top offensive players in the PFL, together with Japanese Ren Okuda and Jaime Rosquillo of Iloilo.
Meanwhile, CFC’s newest addition is another Japanese left-winger Ken Murayama who previously played for the Futbolo klubas Neptūnas in Lithuania, Khovd FC in Mongolia, and UE Sabadell Nord in Spain.
Lastly, CFC added another Turkish player in Goktug Demiroglu, a defender who formerly suited up for Spain’s Zalla UC and Turkish football club Yüksekova Belediyespor.
They will all be seen in action on Sunday against UP in Group B of the Copa Paulino Alcantara.
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