San Beda slips to 4th after fielding ineligible player

San Beda lost the top seeding and slid to fourth after its midfielder Dane Peñaflor was deemed ineligible in the NCAA Season 93 men’s football tournament.

Arellano’s Peter Cayco, the NCAA football organizing committee chair, shared that San Beda admitted its mistake which led to the voluntary forfeiture of two of the three games Peñaflor played in.

“During the eligibility meeting, San Beda and Lyceum requested that they submit their eligibility requirements in January, but we told them they run the risk of forfeiting their games if there are players who will be found to be ineligible later on,” he said. “And then, San Beda wrote us that they have discovered one of their players failed to make the eligibility requirements so they are voluntarily forfeiting the games where the player played.”

Peñaflor saw action in the Red Booters’ victories over Emilio Aguinaldo College and Mapua and in a defeat to Arellano.

Despite the bad news, San Beda was still able to save face as the fourth-seed after coming away with the highest goal differential in its three-way logjam with EAC and Mapua. The Red Booters finished with 1 against the Generals’ minus-9 and the Cardinals’ minus-13.

Still, San Beda faces an uphill climb after surrendering the top spot, including the twice-to-beat advantage, to College of St. Benilde as the two squads now clash in their Final Four tiff starting on Monday.

No. 2 Arellano and third seed Lyceum, meanwhile, face off in the other Final Four match.

The juniors tournament also resumes on Monday, with top-seed CSB-LSGH taking on No. 4 Arellano, before No. 2 San Beda battle against No. 3 Letran.