Match Day 4 of the 2026 PFF U16-U19 National Boys’ Championships delivered the tournament’s most lopsided result yet, a dramatic late winner, and a clutch five-goal performance that reshuffled the U19 standings, as both competitions approach their most decisive moments.
Iloilo-Guimaras RFA stamped its dominance on the U16 Championship with a historic win, while the U19 National Qualifiers saw Olongapo City-Zambales FA (OCZFA) complete a perfect sweep and Laguna RFA surge into the National Finals.
IGRFA delivered the statement of the tournament on Saturday, dismantling Zamboanga del Norte-Dipolog RFA (ZANDIRFA), 11-1, to conclude its group stage campaign in emphatic fashion and book a place in the semifinals of the inaugural PFF U16 National Boys’ Championship.
Gab Belluga set the tone with an early brace that signaled IGRFA’s intent from the opening minutes, and the floodgates never closed. The result stands as the most lopsided of the tournament so far and reinforces a clear message throughout Match Days 1 to 4 — Iloilo-Guimaras is in a class of its own in Group A.
The National Capital Region Football Association kept its semifinal hopes alive with a composed 2-0 win over Misamis Occidental-Ozamiz FA, with both goals coming in the second half after a disciplined defensive display from MOOFA made the opening period a tough affair.
Midfielder Zac Mitchell of Muntinlupa City served as the creative engine behind NCRFA’s buildup and was rewarded with the Player of the Match award. NCRFA now faces a straightforward task heading into the final group stage day: avoid a defeat by 17 goals or more against ZANDIRFA to secure the second semifinal spot in Group A — a scenario firmly within its control.
Group B produced contrasting results but arrived at the same outcome — a three-way race to the wire.
Host Negros Occidental RFA continued its impressive run with a dominant 7-1 demolition of Iligan-Lanao RFA, with Zack Anthony Betia of San Carlos City leading the charge with a brace that set the tone early and earned him Player of the Match honors. With nine points, NORFA sits atop Group B and needs just one more win to confirm a semifinal berth.
However, OCZFA refused to go quietly. In the day’s most dramatic U16 result, OCZFA edged Camiguin-Misamis Oriental RFA (CMORFA), 2-1, behind a late winner from red-haired forward Miel Vander Daguman — a goal that sent the OCZFA faithful in the bleachers into raptures and kept its semifinal hopes alive.
Daguman spoke with infectious joy and maturity after the match. “When I went for the goal, I was full of confidence because I could hear their shouts,” he said, crediting the crowd’s energy for pushing him forward.
He also reflected on the team spirit that carried OCZFA through the pressure. “We were talking to each other at halftime and during the game that we should stay calm — that win or lose, we are still one team, we are still OCZFA.”
OCZFA and Golden Davao RFA are now level on points in second place in Group B, while CMORFA remains in contention for a top-two finish. NORFA versus OCZFA looms as a thriller in the next set of fixtures, while GODARFA and CMORFA will battle for survival to close out the elimination round.
(C) PFF
In the U19 National Qualifiers, OCZFA capped a historic group stage campaign with a 2-1 win over Province of Bohol RFA (PBRFA), courtesy of a decisive brace from Kurt Ivan Venturina.
With 12 points from four wins, OCZFA completed a perfect sweep of Group B and will advance to the National Championships alongside Cebu RFA, NORFA, IGRFA, and NCRFA — a field that promises fierce competition at the national stage.
The Group A story of the day was Laguna RFA’s stunning 5-1 rout of ZANDIRFA, which vaulted the side into second place and secured the group’s second National Finals berth alongside South Cotabato-Sarangani-General Santos RFA and OCZFA. Five different scorers delivered for Laguna in a performance that Player of the Match Zachary Chu described as a collective effort.
“From our previous game we were able to build the possession up more, and the chemistry between the team just became way better,” he said. “We were down 1-0 at the start, and with the courage of the team we were able to fight back.”
Chu also reflected on the added motivation of performing in front of national team scouts.
“This tournament and the scouts — it motivates me to work harder for myself, but most importantly to help the team win. The goal is not just my goal, but a team effort’s goal.”
In the day’s other U19 fixtures, MOOFA claimed its first win of the qualifiers with a 4-0 shutout of Mount Apo RFA, with Kit Ivan Quilalang and Christian Rey Gapol — the Player of the Match — each scoring a brace.
In Group B, Cordillera Administrative Region FA (CARFA) earned its first points of the competition with a 5-2 win over Butuan-Agusan del Norte FA, powered by a Cyrus Sabala masterclass that kept its National Finals hopes alive.
Heading into the final match day, one National Finals slot remains open in Group A, with ZANDIRFA needing at least a draw against SOCSARGEN to hold on, while MOOFA can still sneak through with a win and a ZANDIRFA loss.
In Group B, three teams — PBRFA, CARFA, and Davao South RFA — remain in contention for the two remaining spots, guaranteeing a dramatic conclusion to the qualifiers.
The 2026 PFF U16-U19 National Boys’ Championships continues in Negros Occidental with the final group stage matches, setting the stage for what promises to be an unforgettable conclusion to the elimination round.
