Cebu FC’s first eleven. |Cebu FC photo
CEBU CITY, Philippines — The Cebu Football Club (CFC) Gentle Giants have officially secured the fourth and final slot in the Philippines Football League (PFL) semifinals after a dramatic 1-1 draw against the Davao Aguilas UMAK FC on Saturday night, April 12, at the Dynamic Herb-Borromeo Sports Complex.
The result marked the end of Cebu FC’s elimination round campaign, locking them into the No. 4 spot and earning them a place in the Final Four.
It was Guytho Mijland who emerged as the hero of the night, delivering a crucial equalizer in the 78th minute when the Gentle Giants were trailing 0-1.
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With precision, Mijland fired a right-footed strike inside the penalty area that slipped past the Davao defense and beat the goalkeeper at the near post—igniting celebrations among the home supporters.
SEMIFINALS
Earlier, Davao had stunned the home crowd by opening the scoring in the first half, threatening Cebu FC’s semifinal aspirations. However, the Gentle Giants regrouped and found their rhythm in the latter stages of the match.
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Veteran Papu Corsame Jr. was instrumental on both ends of the pitch, anchoring Cebu’s defensive line and keeping Davao at bay with a series of key interventions. His performance earned him the “Man of the Match” honors.
“That was a really tough game,” said Corsame. “We were aiming for the full three points, but qualifying for the semifinals is what matters most. We’re excited to compete, whether it’s against Kaya or Manila Diggers.”
Cebu FC will now await the final standings to determine their semifinal opponent.
League-leaders Kaya FC Iloilo and second-placed Manila Diggers FC are still battling for the top seed, separated by just a single point heading into their final fixtures.
Kaya (41 points) is scheduled to face the eliminated Stallion Laguna FC at 7:00 PM, while Manila Diggers (40 points) will square off against Loyola FC Meralco at 4 p.m.
Whichever team Cebu draws in the semifinals, one thing is certain that the Gentle Giants have earned a ticket to the semifinals amidst a roller-coaster season.