Kaya FC–Iloilo Looks to Spoil Ceres Negros’ 100% Record Riding on back-to-back big wins in the PFL, Kaya FC–Iloilo is hoping to be the first team to defeat the defending champions in the 2018 season. Photo Courtesy of Mymy Alagaban.
Kaya FC–Iloilo are set to visit the defending Philippines Football League Champions on Saturday night, eager to be the first team to hand Ceres Negros their first defeat of the season. The match, which kicks off at 7pm, will be the teams’ second and last meeting at the Pana-ad Stadium in the 2018 league.
“Ceres Negros just came from a big first leg semifinal win against Yangon, so they’re performing well, and their players are in the right form. They were in a different level in the game,” said Kaya Iloilo head coach Noel Marcaida. “Tomorrow’s match is very important for us. We will have an opportunity to take three points away from Ceres Negros. We’re going to need a collective effort from our players.”
The hosts are in the middle of a tricky week, as they look to navigate the challenges of both the Asian and domestic stage simultaneously. Fresh from a triumphant ASEAN Zonal semifinal win in the AFC Cup on Wednesday, a 4-2 victory against Yangon United, the Negros powerhouse will travel to Myanmar for the second leg on May 16. In between those two massive matches, is a tough test against Kaya Iloilo.
“We’re going to be playing three games in eight days. It’s very difficult for us. It’s a real problem, especially for the players that are playing in the AFC Cup,” said Ceres Negros assistant coach Ian Treyes. “We’re going to rotate our lineup, and use some of our other players in the squad.”
Aside from success in the AFC Cup, Ceres are currently enjoying a perfect start to the PFL season, with five wins from their first five games. Kaya, however, are in impressive run of form of their own, riding high from two consecutive 4-1 victories in the PFL.
“I think you all know that every time we play Ceres, we give that high intensity in the first half. Tomorrow, what’s important is that we are able to maintain that intensity for the full 90 minutes. Playing against Ceres, especially in Pana-ad, we always get early chances. The last time we were here, we scored first against them, but we conceded two goals in the second half. If we want to get all three points, we need to work hard from start to finish,” said Marcaida.
Asked why Kaya always seems to fall short against their Visayan rivals, Jalsor Soriano felt the results were a product of factors that were beyond the team’s control. “Isa lang ang ibig sabihin nun, hindi talaga para sa amin yung mga games na yun. Kahit anong chances na meron kami, ayaw talagang pumasok, so bawi nalang sa susunod,” he said.
(“It just mean one thing, those games really weren’t meant for us. Whatever chances we got, they just wouldn’t go in, so we’ll just need to bounce back in this next one,” he said.”
Form Guide
Ceres Negros: 5-0-0 (15pts) | 13 Goals Scored | 2 Goals Conceded
Win – Vs Kaya FC–Iloilo – 2-1
Win – Vs JPV Marikina – 0-3
Win – Vs Global Cebu – 0-2
Win – Vs JPV Marikina – 1-4
Win – Vs Davao Aguilas – 0-2
Kaya FC–Iloilo: 3-1-2 (10pts) | 13 Goals Scored | 9 Goals Conceded
Draw – Vs Davao Aguilas – 2-2
Loss – Vs Ceres Negros – 2-1
Win – Vs JPV Marikina – 1-0
Loss – Vs Stallion Laguna – 1-3
Win – Vs Stallion Laguna – 4-1
Win – Vs JPV Marikina 1-4
Players to Watch:
Jordan Mintah (Kaya FC–Iloilo)
The Ghanaian forward accounted for five of the team’s eight goals in the last two games. He’s also one of only two players to have scored against Ceres this season With his all around quality on the ball and composure in front of goal, Jordan Mintah will play a pivotal role in Saturday night’s encounter at Pana-ad Stadium.
Mike Ott (Ceres Negros)
The younger of the two Otts scored one and assisted the other in the first meeting between the two clubs. His quick thinking, quality control, and vision make Mike a real nightmare for defenses to lockdown.
Last Meeting:
April 4, 2018 | Pana-ad Stadium
Ceres Negros 2-1 Kaya FC-Iloilo
