AFC Cup 2022: Kedah Darul Aman FC Match Preview Match 2 — Kaya FC-Iloilo look to rebound and pick up points against the Malaysian League runners-up.

Kedah Darul Aman FC (MAS) vs Kaya FC-Iloilo (PHI)
Monday, June 27, 2022 | 9:00 PM Kickoff
Kapten I Wayan Dipta Stadium, Bali

Bali, Indonesia — Following a heartbreaking 2-1 loss to Cambodia’s Visakha FC in the Group G opener, Kaya FC-Iloilo will be looking to bounce back against Malaysia’s Kedah Darul Aman FC on Monday. The second of Kaya’s three AFC Cup fixtures will be streamed live at primetime, 9:00 PM on Eleven Sports.

“First of all, Kedah is a really good team so we have a big challenge ahead of us. We still want to qualify for the Knockout Stage, so we will not give up in our next two games,” said Iloilo’s Head Coach Yu Hoshide.

Friday’s defeat was a hard one to swallow for the club, as it delivered a sizable blow to the Philippine side’s chances to advance further in the competition. Though Iloilo drew first blood in the 30th minute with a beautiful goal in open play, seeing Arnel Amita open his continental scoring account with a header at the far post, the advantage quickly came undone after the halftime break.

As the rains poured and the tide turned, Visakha completed their comeback with a quick counter early in the second half and a pretty build-up of their own to take the lead.

Togetherness was the theme of the night, as seen with the Cambodian team staying composed and aggressive as a unit despite being a goal down. Coming out of the break, Kaya didn’t play with the same fire that they had in the first half and paid for it dearly.

“We did that to ourselves,” Coach Hoshide stated. “In the first five minutes of the second half, we were caught relaxing—that’s why we lost the ball and that’s the reason for the goal.”

“First of all, Kedah is a really good team, so we have a big challenge. We still want to qualify for the Knockout Stage, so we will not give up in our next games.”

The Malaysian side find themselves in the same situation following a 2-0 loss to the hosts Bali United. Both Kaya and Kedah’s chances of remaining in the competition will swing in favor of the winner of this next match.

“I hope tomorrow’s going to be a good game,” said Iloilo forward Robert Lopez Mendy. “We are here to play football, you know? Last time wasn’t the best result for us, but we have a chance to bounce back and to do what we came to do.”

The best runner-up of the three ASEAN groups will also advance, so it’s crucial to pick up all three points in tomorrow’s fixture. Do-or-die time has truly come for Kaya, for they’ll need to find their bearings soon to stay in the running.

“Tomorrow is another day, so we have to bounce back—especially on the mental side. Everybody’s tired, which I really understand, but we have to always stay positive,” Coach Hoshide noted.

“They are a good side, they play good football with good players and the Malaysian League is a very tough, very competitive, and very high level.” said Lopez Mendy about tomorrow’s opponent. “But at the end, it’s just football. It’s eleven against eleven, we’ll fight and do what we can do.”

All of Kaya FC–Iloilo’s AFC Cup matches will be streamed live on ElevenSports.com.