Written by Margie Markland/StoryLab
The University of the Philippines Cebu Fighting Maroons men’s football team powered through a commanding 6-2 victory over Lapu-Lapu to capture the Division 2 title in the 2026 Aboitiz Football Cup on Saturday, September 19.
The match opened with both sides trading attacks in a heated first half, with Lapu-Lapu drawing first blood through John Zhel Sala before Jaybe Abasolo added another to put his side ahead.
UP Cebu refused to let the deficit stand, finding its way back into the match to level the score at 2-2 before halftime and set up a tighter second-half battle.
Coming out of the break, UP Cebu Fighting Maroons found another gear as Gedion Amora struck to put the team ahead before Jon Emmanuel Acibo extended the lead, giving the squad greater control of the title decider.
UP Cebu continued to press its advantage and found another goal to make it 6-2, while its defense held off Lapu-Lapu’s attempts to mount a late comeback and preserved the lead until the final whistle.
Amora was named Man of the Match for his performance as UP Cebu closed out its Division 2 campaign with the championship. He expressed his appreciation for the team’s collective effort and their coach’s work in guiding the squad throughout the competition.
“Sa among coach pud kay dako mi pasalamat labina nga challenging kaayo sa iya part kay siya ra usa ang ga handle sa team nga adunay 20-plus ka mga players, pero nahatag gihapon niya iyang best para ma improve mi as a team,” he said.
(We are also very grateful to our coach, especially because it has been very challenging on his part. He is the only one handling a team with more than 20 players, but he still gives his best to help us improve as a team.)
Captain Franz Salimbot credited the team’s preparation for the title run, saying the squad continued to train after last season even without tournaments on the calendar.
“Amo gyud gi-preparahan og tarong, since pag-human sa season last year kay sige ra gihapon mi og training, even if walay tournaments. We focused on strengthening our team dynamics and chemistry with each other,” he said.
(We really prepared properly. Since the end of last season, we have continued training even when there were no tournaments.)
Salimbot noted that the continued training also helped the team integrate its new recruits, who quickly adapted to the squad’s style of play.
“Especially nga naa mi […] recruits, and thankfully kay responsible and hardworking ra pod sila and naka-adjust and adapt ra dayon sila playstyle sa team. So I guess ni pay off lang siguro ang sacrifices nga nagbunga aning good na result,” he added.
(Especially since we have recruits, and thankfully, they are also responsible and hardworking. They were able to adjust and adapt quickly to the team’s playstyle. So I guess the sacrifices we made really paid off and resulted in this good outcome.)
The Aboitiz Football Cup is the country’s longest-running grassroots football league, with its 2026 Cebu leg featuring multiple age groups and divisions. UP Cebu competed in the men’s open Division 2 alongside Lapu-Lapu FC, Sportsgen FC, Sporting FC, DB Magone, and Arkiteks United.
With the Aboitiz Cup title secured, the team now turns its attention to its next competitions, including the Cebu Schools Athletic Foundation Inc. (CESAFI) Season 26 and the State Colleges and Universities Athletic Association (SCUAA) 2026 regional meet scheduled for late September and November, respectively.