AFC Announces Champions League Group Stage Venue The backdrop for Kaya's continental run is set, though at a later date than expected.

The host countries for the AFC Champions League Group Stage were recently announced on the AFC official website. The East Region matches—including Kaya’s Preliminary and Playoff rounds—will be held at a centralized location in Thailand. Originally slated to begin as early as April 7, existing travel restrictions due to the pandemic have led the AFC to postpone said matches to a June/July start date.

Regardless of the change in schedule, the club’s degree of difficulty remains the same. In order to even advance to the Group Stage, Kaya FC-Iloilo will have to win two uphill single-elimination matches back-to back: against Australia’s Brisbane Roar FC and China’s Shanghai Port, which boasts famous Brazilian attacker Oscar.

Should they manage to beat the odds and proceed, Kaya will have earned their place in Group F alongside Thai champions BG Pathum United, Vietnamese champions Viettel FC, and the reigning ACL Champion from Korea Ulsan Hyundai FC.

The news came somewhat as a surprise to the Kaya staff, though not an unwelcome one. For the last month, the club’s backroom have been making preparations with the initial April 7 kickoff circled on the calendar. It was a mad dash to get the squad’s training camp approved, and even now the club’s working to get their foreign-based players back into the country. With their first ticket to the highest level of Asian club football on the line, though, some extra time to prepare could boost Kaya’s chances.

The AFC reschedule means the Copa Paulino Alcantara, originally slated for an April start, will likely be Kaya’s first competition this year. This means a shift in the club’s focus from continental challenges to the domestic stage for the time being. What remains unchanged, however, is Iloilo’s commitment to getting the 2021 squad together and in the best shape possible.