Macarthur FC’s Isaac Hovar (32) and Cebu FC’s Papu Corsame battle for ball possession during the AFC Cup match at the Rizal Memorial Stadium in Manila.| Photo from the AFC
CEBU CITY, Philippines— The Cebu Football Club (CFC) Gentle Giants concluded their Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Cup campaign with a 0-3 defeat against the formidable Macarthur FC of Australia on Thursday evening, December 14, 2023, at the Rizal Memorial Stadium in Manila.
The Gentle Giants finished third place in Group F with one win, one draw, and four defeats for four points, ending their first AFC Cup two years after the club was officially formed in Cebu City.
The Gentle Giants finished in third place in Group F with one win, one draw, and four defeats, earning four points. This marks the end of their first AFC Cup campaign, just two years after the club was officially formed in Cebu City.
Meanwhile, the Aussies will advance to the next stage of the AFC Cup with 15 points from their five wins and one loss, alongside Phnom Penh Crown FC of Cambodia, who secured 12 points with a 4-2 win-loss record.
Shan United FC of Myanmar, which had the same record as the former, was also eliminated alongside CFC.
The Gentle Giants’ lone victory was against the Burmese squad, 1-0, on October 26, in Manila. However, the latter managed to salvage a 1-1 draw in their second meeting last November 9 in Myanmar.
On Thursday evening, Macarthur FC dominated CFC with three goals, courtesy of Matthew Millar, Jed Drew, and Ali Auglah, who converted their attempts in the third, 67th, and 94th minutes, respectively.
In their first meeting, Macarthur FC pounded CFC, 8-2, last October in the former’s home pitch in Sydney, Australia.
Despite a lackluster debut in the AFC Cup, CFC achieved success in the Philippine football scene due to their rapid rise in the Philippines Football League (PFL).
They reached the AFC Cup just two years after the club was established and finished second overall in the previous season of the Copa Paulino Alcantara in the PFL.
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