Deportivo Pasto will head into its match against Independiente Santa Fe with a heavily improvised squad after the club's professional team stopped activities and decided not to travel to Bogotá. In its place, 20 youth players were called up for the game, which is scheduled for Sunday, November 8, at the Nemesio Camacho El Campín stadium for date 18 of Liga BetPlay II-2026.
The unusual situation leaves Pasto relying on players from its youth divisions for a first-division league match, a clear sign of how serious the club's internal dispute has become. According to the available information, the work stoppage is tied to unpaid obligations, including two months of salary and other pending payments.
Why Deportivo Pasto will use youth players
The professional squad's absence came before the trip to Bogotá, forcing the club to turn to its youth ranks. That means the responsibility for the match against Santa Fe will fall to a group of teenagers and young prospects who were not originally expected to carry the load in this fixture.
One of the names included in the delegation is Juan David Quintero Pantoja, a young attacker who earned his call-up after standing out in a Sub-20 friendly against Deportivo Manabí of Ecuador at the start of the week. Pasto's Sub-20 team won that match 9-0, and Quintero Pantoja scored two goals.
What it means for Santa Fe vs Pasto
For Santa Fe, the matchup now comes against a very different version of Deportivo Pasto than the one typically seen in Liga BetPlay II-2026. With the professional squad not making the trip and youth players set to take the field at 2:00 in the afternoon, the match takes on a rare and unpredictable shape.
The situation is still evolving off the field, but the immediate reality is simple: Pasto will try to complete date 18 with 20 youth players and a makeshift lineup in Bogotá.
