By Ivan Saldajeno
MANILA--Make way for the "koponan ng masa" officially!
The Philippine Football Federation approved Maharlika Manila's application for a club license, making the team eligible to join the upcoming PFL season slated for October.
"The Philippine Football Federation Club Licensing First Instance Body... approved a provisional PFF license to Maharlika FC, a new club eager to compete in the league," PFF said in a statement on Tuesday night.
In response to the development, Maharlika Manila owner Anton Del Rosario said, "I can officially say that I'm an owner of a professional club."
He then vowed "to create a pathway for the youth all the way to the professional level, look out for players, listen to the supporters," and to "provide opportunities."
The entire club has been invited to undergo swab testing on Wednesday at the PFF office in Pasig so it can be cleared to train at the PFF National Training Centre in Carmona for the upcoming PFL season.
So far, the club announced that local standouts Simon Greatwich, Cedric Hodreal, Enrique Ortiz, Jerry Barbaso, and Misagh Bahadoran, foreign players Joaco Canas and Daniel Matsunaga, and young upstarts Julian Del Valle and Manu Mariano will be in Maharlika Manila's inaugural roster. Roxy Dorlas will be the head coach.
Maharlika Manila's formal PFL arrival keeps the number of clubs participating in the 2020 PFL season at six, the minimum number for the season to start, despite the suspension slapped on Global Makati.
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