AFC Cup 2022 Primer Looking to bounce back stronger than ever, Kaya prepares to return to the Asian stage.

After finishing top of the table in a stellar Copa Paulino Alcantara run, the title defense ended in heartbreak for Kaya FC-Iloilo. As the team accepted their silver medals and took in the bitter sight of United City lifting the trophy, everyone burned the image into their minds to serve as motivation moving forward. Now the challengers once again, all eyes turn to the continental stage and the upcoming AFC Cup in the latter part of June.

Taking home the 2021 Copa title qualified the club to represent the Philippines in the Asian competition, and the Men’s side will soon be traveling to Bali, Indonesia: the chosen location for the fixtures of Group G.

First up, the Iloilo side will be facing Cambodia’s Visakha FC. The “Blue Horse” qualified for the tournament in similar fashion to Kaya, taking home the Hun Sen Cup in 2021. The fellow cup winners will meet on June 24, with kickoff set for 5:00 PM.

Next, Kaya will be going up against Malaysian side Kedah Darul Aman FC: runners-up of the 2021 Malaysia Super League. “The Canaries” were founded nearly a hundred years ago, and Iloilo will be facing the storied club in primetime with a 9:00 PM kickoff on June 27.

Lastly, the Filipino side take on the hosts Bali United FC. Not only did the “Tridatu Warriors” win the Liga 1 title in 2019 to earn their spot in this year’s competition, but they’re also fresh off a second championship run this past season. Currently at the top of Indonesian football’s top flight, it’ll be quite a challenge taking them on in front of their home crowd on June 30, 5:00 PM kickoff.

The Group Stage will operate as a single-round, four-team round robin. Kaya will get to play each team once, making it three total chances to rack up points and advance to the Knockout Stage in August.

In recent weeks, six Iloilo players were away after reporting to the National Team: namely Oskari Kekkonen, Sandro Reyes, Jesse Curran, Jhanjhan Melliza, Simone Rota, and Mar Diano. It would’ve been seven had it not been for an Azkals administrative oversight on the part of Audie Menzi, whose performance in the Copa and the friendly between the PFL All-Stars and the National Team earned him his first call-up.

Regardless, the Internationals have since returned to practice and are expected to be fully reintegrated as the team departs for Bali. Kaya supporters can rest easy knowing that the squad will be complete and at full strength going into the continental competition.

Stay tuned to Kaya FC–Iloilo’s social media feeds and to get updates on the available Livestream options for the AFC Cup matches.