Kick-Off to Glory: Yuta Suzuki Leads the Charge in the 2024-25 Philippine Football League

Hello, this is Yuuta.

When many people hear about the Philippines, they probably think of “studying English abroad” and “the beautiful sea.”

There is also a soccer league in the Philippines, and heated competitions take place every season.

I myself have had the experience of traveling to the Philippines to participate in tryouts and being exposed to local soccer.

This time, we will explain the 2024-25 season of the Philippine First Division League.

Participating club

*From Philippine Football League Official Facebook Page

The Philippine First Division League for the 2024-25 season is a national league, with the following 10 clubs participating from all over the Philippines.

*You can jump to each club’s official Facebook page from the club name link.

PFF Development Clubis a new club to join.

[Philippine Division 1 League]2024 Season Philippine Football League

Foreign national athlete quota

The quotas for foreign players in the Philippine First Division League for the 2024-25 season are as follows:

Unlimited registration space
6 players (5 non-Japanese players + 1 goalkeeper)

This will be a new rule starting from the 2024 season.

Organization of foreign national athletes

This is the composition of foreign players for each club in the Philippine First Division at the end of the 2024-25 season.
*The numbers are based on information collected personally.

*Players who left the team are players who left the team midway due to reasons such as injury or lack of performance.
*For the gaps in the second half, players who played from the first half played throughout the season.

・Number of foreign athletes by region

A characteristic of the Philippine league is that there are many mixed players (having parents of Filipino nationality and other nationalities) playing, and there are also several players with Japanese nationality (as well as Filipino nationality).

List of Japanese national players

Rintaro Hama (Rintaro Hama)

*From Hama’s Instagram
Position: FW (WG)
Date of birth: Born May 18, 1999
Career: Prefectural Nishinomiya High School – Kochi University – Cebu FC (Philippines)
Belongs to Cebu FC.

Ryoo Togashi (Ryo Togashi)

*From Togashi’s Instagram
Position: MF
Date of birth: Born April 4, 1997
Career: Tokyo Verdy Youth – Toin Yokohama University – Briobecca Urayasu – Cebu FC (Philippines) – Southern District FC (Hong Kong) – Cebu FC (Philippines)
Belongs to Cebu FC.

Masaya Kobayashi (Masashi Kobayashi)

*From Kobayashi’s Instagram
Position: DF
Date of birth: Born October 7, 1999
Career: Chukyo University Chukyo High School – Chukyo University – FC Awajishima – FSV Duisburg (Germany) – SC Fortuna Köln U23 (Germany) – DV Solingen (Germany) – Cebu FC (Philippines)
Belongs to Cebu FC.

Akito Saito

*From Saito’s Instagram
Position: DF
Date of birth: Born August 15, 1999
Career: Jissen Gakuen High School – Industrial Efficiency University – Lernayin Artsakh Goris (Armenia) – Aizawl FC (India) – Kaya FC-Iloilo (Philippines)
Belongs to Kaya FC-Iloilo. After graduating from Industrial Management University, he played in Armenia and India, and will be playing in the Philippines starting in the 2023 season.

Kaishu Yamazaki

*From Yamazaki’s Instagram
Position: DF
Date of birth: Born June 12, 1997
Career: Kashiwa Reysol U-18 – SV Darmstadt 98 U-19 (Germany) – Iwaki FC – Albirex Niigata Singapore – Lion City Sailors FC (Singapore) – Hougang United FC (Singapore) – Mosta FC (Malta) – Persikabo 1973 (Indonesia) ) – Kaya FC-Iloilo (Philippines)
Belongs to Kaya FC-Iloilo. After playing for Kashiwa Reysol U-18, Germany, Iwaki FC, Singapore, Malta, and Indonesia, he has been playing in the Philippines since 2024.

Hideto Komaki (Shuto Komaki)

*From Komaki’s Instagram
Position: FW
Date of birth: Born May 30, 2000
Career: Roasso Kumamoto Youth – Kyushu Sangyo University – Albirex Niigata Singapore – Kaya FC-Iloilo (Philippines)
Belongs to Kaya FC-Iloilo.

Daizo Horikoshi (Daizou Horikoshi)

*From Horikoshi’s Instagram
Position: FW
Date of birth: Born September 14, 1996
Career: Tama University Meguro High School – Tokai University – Albirex Niigata Singapore – Kaya FC-Iloilo (Philippines) – Trat FC (Thailand) – Kaya FC-Iloilo (Philippines)
Belongs to Kaya FC-Iloilo.

Yuya Kuriyama (Yuya Kuriyama)

*From Kuriyama’s Instagram
Position: GK
Date of birth: Born March 29, 2000
Career: Sundai Gakuen High School – Shizuoka Sangyo University – Nepal APF Club (Nepal) – Thimphu City FC (Bhutan) – Nepal APF Club (Nepal) – Thimphu City FC (Bhutan) – Manila Digger FC (Philippines)
Belongs to Manila Digger FC.

Hayato Kame (Kame Hayato)

*From Kame’s Instagram
Position: MF/DF
Date of birth: July 19, 1990
Career: University of Industrial Efficiency – Kamphaengphet FC (Thailand) – NK Radlje (Slovenia) – Southland United (New Zealand) – Waitakere City FC (New Zealand) – Ipswich Knights SC (Australia) – Souths United FC (Australia) – Mitchelton FC (Australia) – Master7 FC (Laos) – Khovd FC (Mongolia) – Stallion Laguna FC (Philippines) – Mendiola FC 1991 (Philippines) – Manila Digger FC (Philippines)
Belongs to Manila Digger FC.

Naoto Hiraishi (Naoto Hiraishi)

*From Hiraishi’s Instagram
Position: MF
Date of birth: Born June 23, 1992
Career: Teikyo High School – Toyo University – FC Machida Zelvia – Fujieda MYFC – Blaublitz Akita – SC Sagamihara – Okoyasu Kyoto FC – Siam FC (Thailand) – Atsugi Hayabusa FC – One Taguig FC (Philippines)
Belongs to One Taguig FC.

Tsukasa Shimomura

*From Shimomura’s Instagram
Position: FW
Date of birth: Born September 26, 1997
Career: Tatefunabashi High School – Toin Yokohama University – Viatin Mie – Hokkaido Tokachi Sky Earth – Tokyo 23FC – One Taguig FC (Philippines)
Belongs to One Taguig FC.

So Omae (So Oomae)

*From Omae’s Instagram
Position: MF
Date of birth: Born February 3, 1995
Career: Kyoto Higashiyama High School – Sakotemon Gakuin University – Hokoku FC – Prime Bangkok FC (Thailand) – Muang Loei United (Thailand) – Prey Veng FC (Cambodia) – Davao Aguilas FC (Philippines) – One Taguig FC (Philippines)
Belongs to One Taguig FC.

Shoma Sato (Sato Shoma)

*From Sato’s Instagram
Position: DF/MF
Date of birth: Born October 6, 1999
Career: Kashiwa Reysol U-18 – Kanto Gakuin University – VfB Homberg (Germany) – 1.FC Kleve (Germany) – AC Kajaani (Finland) – Kultsu FC (Finland) – NK KRK (Croatia) – Shinagawa CC – Davao Aguilas FC (Philippines) – One Taguig FC (Philippines)
Belongs to One Taguig FC.

summary

This time, we explained the Philippine First Division League for the 2024-25 season.

Each season, the Philippine League is characterized by many uncertainties regarding its management, such as the timing and participating clubs not being decided until the last minute.

Due to the expansion of the participation slots for the ACL (Asia Champions League) in the 2021 season, the winning club of the Philippine League can now participate in the main match directly (previously, only those who won in the qualifying rounds could participate in the main match).

Personally, I think it is attractive that this allows us to play against strong clubs from Asia, including Japan’s J-League.

Also, personally, I like the cities of the Philippines and it is one of the countries I would like to visit again. lol

I would be happy if you could get even a little bit interested in Philippine soccer by reading this blog.