International football returns to Negros Occidental in May when one of the qualifying stages of the Asian Challenge Cup is staged at the Panaad Park and Stadium in Bacolod City .

This was confirmed by Jose Mari Martinez, president of the Philippine Football Federation, who said that four teams, including the RP Team will see action from May 11-18.

The Philippines will be entertaining reigning Challenge Cup champion Tajikistan , Brunei and Bhutan at the Panaad..

Only the top team will move into the main tournament, where it will meet the three other group winners and seeded teams North Korea , Myanmar , Turkmenistan and host India in July in New Delhi and Hyderabad .

The winner of the Challenge Cup --- the tournament for Asia's lowest-ranked squads --- will gain a slot in the 2011 Asian Cup in Qatar .

Tajikistan , which defeated Sri Lanka , 4-0, for the crown in Chittagong , Bangladesh two years ago, is the top-ranked squad at 146 based on the FIFA rankings. The Philippines is at 181, followed by Brunei (186) and Bhutan (196).

The other hosts are Taiwan --- which is grouped with Sri Lanka , Pakistan and Guam --- Kyrgyzstan in Group C, where Bangladesh , Afghanistan and Laos will be playing, and Nepal , which will entertain Palestine , Cambodia and Macau .

COMPOSITION OF RP SQUAD

Martinez said he has tapped technical director Juan Cutillas and national coach Aris Caslib to determine the composition of the team.

“No player is assured of a slot in the team yet,” Martinez said in a telephone interview.

PFF assistant general-secretary Jojo Rodriguez said the PFF has a pool of 34 players that includes skipper Aly Borromeo, Emelio Caligdong and Archie Bayquin, that will be evaluated, before the final squad is announced

The list does not include Filipino-British brothers Phil and James Younghusband and Chris and Phil Greatwich, who were part of the RP XI that saw action during the Asean Football Championship Qualifiers in Bacolod in November 2006.

But Pocholo Borromeo, the PFF coordinator for international competitions, hinted that the Fil-British players may return for another tour of duty for the country.

Martinez hopes the team will be formed by February when the national team faces South Korean club Hyundai for an exhibition match at the Ultra in Pasig .

Bayquin and another goalkeeper, Edward Sacapaño as well as Wilson Dela Cruz are the only players from Negros Occidental who are in the RP pool.

The list includes June Antonio Abiera, Ian Araneta Jemson Ayuban, Richard Betita, Louie Michael Casas, Ruben Doctora Jr., Roxy Dorlas, Eliezar Fabroada, Peter John Fadrigalan, Jayric Iligan, Peter Jaugan, Nicholas Leonora, Jeffrey Liman, Mark Madrona, Ruffy Narvaez, Gerald Orcullo, Jerome Orcullo, Dan padernal, Rolly Perez, Mark Alvin Valeroso, Dave Peterson Villon, Harold Bayona, Roel Gener, Joebel Bermejo, Reynaldo Corton, Darren Hartmann, Neckson Leonora, Jeoffrey Lobaton and Joseph Rojo. *CPT

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