Club

Company Profile

Established in 1996, Kaya Futbol Club has been home to some of the Philippines’ brightest footballing talents for the last two decades. Known in its first 10 years as a disrupting force to the dominance of Armed Forces teams, the club has since developed into one of the top football organizations in the Philippines. After winning the UFL Cup in 2015, the club qualified for Asia’s prestigious AFC Cup tournament the following year, where the club became among the first Filipino football clubs to reach the Round-of-16.

In 2018, Kaya became the Province of Iloilo’s official football club. Now named Kaya FC–Iloilo, the club plays its home matches at the Iloilo Sports Complex. Boasting a lineup of 16 homegrown players, including two Ilonggo natives, Kaya FC–Iloilo went on to win the inaugural Copa Paulino Alcantara, which led to qualification into the 2019 AFC Cup, where the team competed against top clubs from Singapore, Indonesia, and Laos.

Later in the year, the club formed its first ever Women’s Team. Led by Women’s National Team Head Coach, Let Dimzon, with a squad composed of Philippine internationals and former college standouts, the team aims to play a key role in professionalizing women’s club football in the country.

The name of the club comes from the Filipino word káya, which means “We can.” In Old Tagalog, the word is closely defined as susi ng kapatiran (key to brotherhood). Both of these definitions provide the basis for Kaya's team spirit and vision as a club. 

Mission

The goals of the club are to become the most respected football club in the country, to provide a training ground for players with a desire to help in the development of Philippine football, and to focus on instilling a positive approach toward respect, loyalty, and determination for the team and society as a whole.

Vision

The name of the club comes from the Filipino word kaya, which means “We can.” In Old Tagalog, the word is closely defined as “susi ng kapatiran,” which means “key to brotherhood.” Both of these definitions are the core essence of the “Una kaya” spirit and vision of the club. As one of the cofounders, Stephanie Hagedorn poignantly stated,

The essence of Kaya FC as a football club is the “Una kaya” spirit. A spirit driven by the adage “We can.” Words that indicate a collaborative vision and unified goal. It goes beyond team spirit—it is a brotherhood. A collective consciousness driving us to always do our best, to encourage one another and have pride in our club. Our goal is not for personal gain but for the betterment of society through the common bond of football. Kaya leadership celebrates respect for one another, humility in action, cooperation on and off the field, and most importantly, sharing with the greater community.

Contact: 2nd Floor General Aviation Center Domestic Airport Compound Pasay City 1300 (02) 8856-8516

In the late 1980s, one evening a week, players of all ages and from different backgrounds would get together on a basketball court for some indoor football. Their enjoyment of the weekly games grew, and the players’ skills improved rapidly. They began to join outdoor seven-a-side football tournaments, playing against different teams. The Kaya team members often found themselves on the winner’s podium, receiving medals and trophies. A few years and multiple awards later, they realized that many of their teammates were some of the best in the country and that the team needed to lay the foundation for something bigger.
The name Kaya Football Club was then made official in July of 1996, and the beginning of Kaya’s leadership on and off the field for football in Metro Manila and the Philippines became more prominent. The name of the club comes from the Filipino word káya, which means “We can.” In Old Tagalog, the word is closely defined as susi ng kapatiran (key to brotherhood). Both of these definitions provide the basis for Kaya's team spirit and vision as a club.
In the late 1990s, Kaya FC participated in official and more challenging eleven-a-side football tournaments organized by the National Capital Region Football Association. The team came to be recognized as one of the only clubs capable of defeating the so-called big three, which consisted of the Philippine Army, Philippine Air Force, and Philippine Navy football clubs.Between 2000 and 2009, Kaya FC defeated the armed forces teams in two separate championships and was the champion of the United Football League (UFL) on three occasions.
In 2009, the UFL became the LBC-UFL and invited the armed forces clubs to join the league, though Kaya FC later became the champions. In 2010, motivated by the growing success of Philippine football, Kaya FC established Kaya FC Academy in hopes of promoting the sport to all, both boys and girls, of all ages and abilities, through its wide range of programs. The academy now has over 800 registrants and even offers scholarships to promising young footballers.
In 2015, after winning the 2015 UFL Cup, Kaya FC celebrated its first major success after six years, when the club qualified for the 2016 AFC Cup, an annual continental football competition between domestic clubs organized by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC). During the AFC Cup campaign, the club won back-to-back AFC Cup home games at the Rizal Memorial Stadium, which meant Kaya had become the first Philippine club to top a group in Asia and win two consecutive games at home. The club famously reached the round of 16 but succumbed to defending AFC Cup champions Johor Darul Ta’zim FC (JDT).
In February 2018, Kaya became the Province of Iloilo’s official football club. Now named Kaya FC–Iloilo, the club plays its home matches at the Iloilo Sports Complex. Boasting a lineup of 16 homegrown players, including two Ilonggo natives, Kaya FC–Iloilo succeeded in claiming the first ever Copa Paulino Alcantara, paving the way for a second stint in the AFC Cup in 2019. The campaign included an impressive 5-0 victory at home over the reigning ASEAN Champions from Singapore, but ultimately did not progress past the group stage. 
In 2021 the club defeated Chinese club Shanghai Port in the AFC Champions League Preliminary Round to book a place in the Champions League Group stage. Later in the year, Kaya won the Copa Paulino Alcantara for a second time.
  • 1996 – Adidas Football Festival
  • 1997 – Chinese-Pilipino League
  • 1998 – Lions Club
  • 1999 – Soccer Ventures Football Festival
  • 1999 – Nomads International 6-a-side
  • 2000 – Alaska Cup
  • 2000 – NCRFA Summer League 7-a-side Division 1
  • 2001 – NCFRA Football League Division
  • 2001 – Chris Monfort Cup
  • 2001 – 54th Anniversary PAF Fiesta
  • 2001 – Futsal Open APFS
  • 2001 – Adidas Lighting Football Cup
  • 2002 – Chris Monfort Cup
  • 2002 – Adidas National Lighting Cup
  • 2002 – PFF 7-a-side Cup
  • 2002 – NCRFA Football League Division 1
  • 2003 – Alaska Cup
  • 2003 – 1st United Football League (UFL)
  • 2004 – Alaska Cup
  • 2004 – 2nd United Football League (UFL)
  • 2005 – UCFA 6-a-Side
  • 2006 – PLDT 7-a-side
  • 2007 – 3rd PAF C.G. Division 1 Cup
  • 2008 – NCR FA Razon Cup
  • 2009 – United Football League (UFL)
  • 2009 – Alaska Cup
  • 2011 – Kia Cup Runner Up
  • 2012 – United Football League Runner Up
  • 2012 – Kia Cup Champions
  • 2015 – United Football League (UFL) Cup Champions
  • 2018 – Copa Paulino Alcantara Champions
  • 2021 – Copa Paulino Alcantara Champions