2021 ACL Group Stage: BG Pathum United vs. Kaya FC-Iloilo Match 1 — Fresh off the heels of their historic win, Kaya looks ahead to the real test tonight.
After a night of celebrations and making history, it’s back to work for the boys in yellow and black. Out of the frying pan and into the fire, as the saying goes. The club won their way into the Group Stage of the AFC Champions League, but now find themselves in a den of champions. Their first opponent is the Thai League 1 winner and host club: BG Pathum United. Kickoff is scheduled at 6PM Philippine time, broadcasting live from their home field Leo Stadium.
Wednesday night was a landmark moment in Philippine football, with Kaya FC-Iloilo ensuring there are two Filipino clubs in the AFC Champions League Group Stage — a feat never before achieved. Some might think such a step up in competition may cause undue stress on the team, but Coach Graham Harvey said otherwise at yesterday’s press conference.
“There is a little bit of pressure because obviously, we’re here on the biggest stage in Asia. But really for us, as Maru (Marwin Angeles) said, we’re here to make sure we enjoy ourselves and represent ourselves as best as possible. But for me, tomorrow’s game, much of the pressure is on BG [Pathum United].”
The aforementioned Angeles gave this earlier comment, regarding how the team’s feeling going into this match right after their big win.
“Everybody’s very happy, not just me, but the whole staff. I mean, we made the whole club and the country proud. Of course tomorrow is gonna be another big game for us, although we don’t really feel the pressure.”
In regards to representing the Philippines in the competition, the midfielder stated, “It’s a dream, to be honest. Every player would love to play in this kind of stage. Not just personally, but for everybody.”
Marwin continued, “We not just play for ourselves, but as what Coach said to us before the game, we play for our families, our club, our country — for the people who worked hard for us to be here. What we achieved is something we will have forever for the rest of our lives. It’s an honor to be here, and we’ll do our best tomorrow.”
This is Kaya’s first foray into this battlefield featuring the elite of the elite, and
concerns were raised regarding the squad’s lack of experience playing at this level.
“We’ll most certainly cope. We’ve brought a squad here that we knew we would use, and will use across the six games. Everybody in that squad is imperative,” Coach Harvey addressed.
“You would’ve seen from Wednesday night’s game, we had to ask help from the bench which was when Kenny (Kenshiro Daniels) came on. We have some depth and strength there so, we’re very confident that the squad we’ve brought will do the job for us. As I’ve said, everybody will get an opportunity to play.”
Kaya will assuredly be the underdog in every upcoming fixture, but in Coach Harvey’s mind that actually helps when it comes to pressure going into each match. The club’s playing with house money having come this far, so the burden instead shifts to the opponent.
“For me, the pressure there is all on BG. They’re the champions of Thailand. They’re coming to their home stadium to play against us, so let’s see how they prepare and how they line up. We’ve certainly done as much homework as we can for sure.”
“Enjoy the experience! Enjoy watching us live on the games,” Coach said in a message to the fans. “As I’ve said before, we’re here to entertain and do the country proud, do all of the fans proud and we’ll represent you to the best of our abilities.”
Marwin added, “Thank you for all the support. Even though we are far away, they’re still there for us and hopefully they’ll continue to do that. We’ll try our best to do what we can do, and hopefully they continue to stay beside us.”
The true challenge begins tonight, and fans will be able to stream the match online through the link below.
