The 2018 Copa Paulino Alcantara was the first edition of the Copa Paulino Alcantara,[1] the domestic football cup competition of the Philippines. The competition started on September 1, 2018[2] and concluded on October 27, 2018, with Kaya–Iloilo winning the inaugural tournament after defeating Davao Aguilas 1–0 in extra time.
The winners qualified for the 2019 AFC Cup.[3]
All six clubs of the 2018 Philippines Football League are eligible to participate in the tournament.[3] On July 15, 2018, during the PFL Fans Day, it was announced that non-franchise clubs will also be allowed to join the cup competition provided that they satisfy minimum licensing requirements which will be set for the competition.[4] But only clubs in the PFL joined the tournament.
The Copa Paulino Alcantara commenced on September 1, 2018, with a group phase of two groups with three teams each. A round robin format with home and away legs was used for this phase. The top two teams advance to the semifinals with the group winners facing the runner-up team from the other group. The higher seeded teams hosted the one-off semifinals. The final consisted of a single match as well.[2]
A draw to determine the composition of the groupings for the group phase was held on August 26, 2018.[2]
In anticipation to adverse weather conditions, M11 Stallion Laguna Football Club Philippines vs Ceres-Negros FC scheduled on 15 September is moved to Biñan Football Stadium. Kick-off is at 12:00nn. #KeepTheLegacy #WeArePFL