NMI Over 40 are NMIFA Masters Cup champs

The whirlwind three-day NMIFA International Masters Cup Friendly Football Tournament 2026, held from Friday, Jan. 9 to Sunday, Jan. 11 at the NMI Soccer Training Center, wrapped up with the NMI Over 40 team crowned champions during Sunday’s awards banquet.

It was a tourney to remember—proof that age is just a number, love for the sport never fades, and camaraderie between teams is the gift that keeps on giving. The tourney featured four teams—one from Japan—Aries FC Tokyo Over 50, and three from the NMI—Over 40, Over 50, and Lady Ayuyus.

In the first game of the tourney, Aries FC Tokyo Over 50’s Hidekazu Sekiguchi managed to put one on the board in the 20th minute to win over NMI Over 40, for a 1-0 final. The NMI Over 40 team then regrouped and snagged their first win, 4-0, over NMI Lady Ayuyus. Phaibun Pondi, Atsushi Hanita, Ajani Burrell, and Ho Jin Woo contributed to the team’s goals.

On Saturday, it was a deadlocked battle between Aries FC and NMI Over 40, with close calls on both ends, but ended in a scoreless draw. After, NMI Over 50 clinched a win over NMI Lady Ayuyus, from a last minute goal by Dong Ik Jang, for a 1-0 final.

On the final day, NMI Over 40 solidified their spot at the top with a 5-1 victory over NMI Over 50, with all five goals by Golden Boot awardee Martin Jambor. In the last showdown, Aries FC secured two goals to win over NMI Lady Ayuyus, 2-0.

Despite finishing with identical records of two wins, one draw, and no losses, NMI Over 40 edged Aries FC in the final standings to claim the tournament title as NMI Over 40 capped the tourney with 21 points, while Aries FC tallied 18.

NMI Over 40’s Peter Loken said that the tournament was fun and well organized. “It’s great having these players from off island to show us different levels of competition and to see how we stack up against it. It’s been a great experience and I’m glad to be a part of it,” he said.

On how it felt playing with a national team again, Loken said, “It’s been a while since we’ve been out here as far as a national team, but actually coach Seki’s out there, so it was fun to see him and talk a little bit to him as well. The level of play has grown over the last decade since I’ve been here and it’s great to see all the progress that we’ve made.”

Aries FC’s Kiyoshi Sekiguchi, who was NMIFA’s former technical director, for his part, said the tournament was a good one and felt like a homecoming. “Everyone welcomed us and we’re very happy. I know some of the players so I’m very happy to play with them. This was my second home—I worked here for four and a half years, so I have many friends here in the CNMI.”

He added that over the years, the level of CNMI football has gotten better. Sekiguchi then said that if they are invited again, they would definitely come back for another tourney and hopefully play against other countries including Guam, Philippines, and Hong Kong.

Aries FC included Taku Teramae, Nobuki Kobayashi, Kazushige Inagaki, Yoshiro Kume, Kiyoshi Sekiguchi, Hidekazu Sekiguchi, Kosuke Sato, Yuji Kubo, Hideaki Nishimuro, Atsuo Nakamura, Dai Onoue, Manzo Yonemitsu, Tatsuya Komachi, Satoshi Kono, Masato Aomoto, Yasuaki Iwamura, and Tomohiro Fukami.

NMI Over 50’s squad were Dindo Pablo, Kamrul Kamrul, Gabriel Arkoh, Dhiraj Chhetri, Jerry Tan, Alilua Peteru, Ho Jin Woo, Guanzhi Jin, Gil Chong Koo, Kosuke Sato, Fradel Sedillo, Dong Ik Jang, Lar Wongpanya, Anthony Diaz, Sang Hyun Chun, Young Ha Hwang, Greg Elliott, and Leith Aden Poole.

NMI Over 40’s team consisted of Paul Salalila, Glenn Smith, Adam Walsh, Min Ki Kim, Suguru Takaitashi, Young Ju Lee, Jun Lu, Steven Mckagan, Atsushi Hanita, Pete Loken, Ajani Burrell, Martin Jambor, Xiao Feng Lin, Jershwin Angeles, Phaibun Pondi, Chen Li, and Woo Ho Jin.

And the NMI Lady Ayuyus were Hailey Shae Forbes Benavente, Orica Okubo George, Julie Anne Mago Chavez, Alyssa De Guzman Borlongan, Khristelle Lysa Alita Itaas, Mataina Leuta Reyes, Iris Male’ia Seman Rasa, Jannah Nillo Casarino, Aubrey Paige Arriola White, Jerlyn Santiago Castillo, Summer Angel Castro Manahane, Toremy De Ette Diaz Baek, Bernadette Tapanee Horey, Gabrielle Rose Race, Dianne Marie Jaylo Pablo, Sophia Marie Agasang Quintos, Stacy Lucille Arriola, Va’Aina Eling Leuta Reyes, Amber Joyvile Morelos Than, Joselynn Larissa Aldan Atalig, and Christina Ngelkes Atalig.