2021 AFC Champions League Recap: Part 1 Revisiting Kaya FC-Iloilo's historic win against Shanghai Port FC, kicking off their inaugural ACL campaign.

It was in one of the hotel conference rooms where the full 2021 Kaya FC-Iloilo roster got together for the very first time. They only had three days to prepare for the most monumental game in club history—the prize being the final slot in the AFC Champions League Group Stage. With a few fresh faces and a little over a month of total training time, it’s safe to say that the Filipino side were going in rather under prepared.

When the team landed in Bangkok, they brought with them the added weight of a country’s football hopes and dreams. One might think that kind of pressure would be tough to deal with, and yet there they were watching the new arrivals introduce themselves in the only proper way—with a song number. Everyone laughed and cheered, keeping things light ahead of the difficult task awaiting them.

The front office did everything they could in the offseason to get the players ready for the next level of competition, but travel restrictions meant players stationed abroad couldn’t report to the March training camp right away. It also didn’t help that said camp had to be suspended for the whole month of April, with the team not being cleared to practice until late May.

The summer’s signings looked to help improve Kaya’s chances in June— Ryo Fujii who further bolstered the midfield,  Jhan Melliza and Fitch Arboleda who both added options within the squad, and Patrick Asare (who eventually joined the team in Thailand, but was recovering from illness and unable to achieve match fitness in time) who will add a future focal point to the frontline.

In addition, Kaya brought in former Ateneo star Jarvey Gayoso for the duration of the tournament, flying him in with Kenshiro Daniels straight from their national team responsibilities at the UAE.

The coaching staff also received extra support in the form of head coach Graham Harvey, a Brisbane native who would’ve provided a tactical advantage against Kaya’s first scheduled opponent: Australian side Brisbane Roar FC. However, it had come to light that those insights would no longer be necessary.

The original ACL qualification gauntlet required the club to win two consecutive matches to advance to the group stage: first a preliminary match with Brisbane Roar, then a playoff round with China’s Shanghai Port FC. But due to pandemic constraints, Australia decided to pull all of its teams from the competition—giving Kaya a pass to the next round.

Harvey and the rest of the coaches were able to focus exclusively on the playoff, and got to work getting the team ready over the next three days. Soon enough, it was time for the players to take the field and face Shanghai Port in true do or die fashion.

From the opening whistle, Kaya came off the blocks with intensity and seized control in the early goings. Ryo Fujii had the match’s first chance in the 7th minute, shooting from outside the box but clearing the crossbar. Jovin Bedic had his own chance to turn and shoot just five minutes later, but his attempt hit the corner of the posts. The squad kept the pressure up—and for their effort, found joy in the 17th minute.

A corner was sent into a crowded box and the ball found an unlikely target: fullback Audie Menzi. The former FEU standout timed his jump perfectly, rising for a towering header to take the lead with his first ever goal for the club. The underdog Iloilo side were shockingly up 1-0, their blitzes eventually bearing fruit for an advantage they would fight to keep for the rest of evening.

To be expected, Shanghai Port eventually settled down and began ramping up towards the end of the first half. The centerback duo of Carlyle Mitchell and Simone Rota did well throughout the match to stifle incoming attacks, but the Chinese squad steadily built momentum going into the break. Mike Casas was forced into his first save of the night in the 45th minute, following a particularly dangerous chance down the left flank.

The boys kept their composure and regained control of the match coming out of halftime, with Daizo Horikoshi continuing to be a menace on the right side. The first substitutions came in the 67th minute, with Kenshiro Daniels and Arnel Amita coming in for Jovin Bedic and Marwin Angeles.

Daizo continued to make decisive runs, and got a shot off in the 74th that was just kept out by their keeper. Shanghai then made an error in their own half in the 80th, which was then picked up by Ryo who created space and unleashed a strike from distance that narrowly missed wide.

The Chinese side would not go down quietly however, creating a final chance on a corner in the 86th. After the ball bounced all around the penalty box, Shanghai were eventually able to get a powerful shot on goal. However, the Beastkeeper came up clutch—he palmed the attempt away and effectively sealed the victory.

Eric Giganto checked in for Dylan de Bruycker in added time, but it was only a matter of minutes before the rest of the squad ran onto the pitch as well. The final whistle blew and it was official—Kaya FC-Iloilo had made history, securing their spot in the AFC Champions League Group Stage.

Kaya’s victory song filtered out of the guest locker room and filled the hallways of Leo Stadium that night. For the first time in its 25 years of existence, the club had broken through to the continent’s premier competition, the top flight in all of Asia. They would soon find themselves out of the frying pan and into a fire unlike any they’ve seen before, but that’s for a later date. It was a moment for the record books, the night Kaya beat the odds and earned their place amongst the best of the best.