Kaya FC’s Title Chase Begins Anew PFL 2022 — ADT Match Preview and Quotes from Ryo Fujii and Coach Yu Hoshide

At long last, the Philippines Football League is back up and running—featuring a 24 game season with fixtures returning to historic and familiar locales for the first time since the lockdown. Kaya FC-Iloilo’s 2022 league campaign is set to begin against the Azkals Development Team, 4:00 PM at the Rizal Memorial Stadium. 

“I’m super excited that we’ll be having a full season,” said Kaya Head Coach Yu Hoshide. “It’s like my life wasn’t complete without the league because football is such a big part of my life.”

Iloilo has seen their fair share of action this year, though the results have been far from ideal. Following a heartbreaking loss in the Copa Paulino Alcantara Final and a rather disappointing AFC Cup Group Stage, the team’s determined to begin their redemption arc in the coming weeks.  

“Sadly, we weren’t able to achieve our goals in Copa and AFC Cup—but we are going to use the regret attained from those losses as the driving force moving forward,” stated Hoshide. 

Midfielder Ryo Fujii, who turns 26-years-old on opening day, holds a similar sentiment stating, “We didn’t get the Copa, we didn’t get what we wanted in the AFC; so to me it’s like we have to get this, we have to get the league title.”

Kaya FC have retooled over the break and continue to feature one of the most talent-rich rosters in the country. Even after parting ways with the dynamic winger Jesse Curran, the club has since welcomed back an ace defender in Marco Casambre and an established veteran in Marwin Angeles. 

“I am really happy that they are back and now we really have a strong squad.” Coach Yu noted on the two’s return. “The competition within the team is really high, and I’m seeing really good intensity in training everyday.” 

Iloilo’s first challenge will be the ever-evolving Azkals Development Team. The youth elites technically qualified for the semifinals in the Copa Paulino Alcantara earlier this year, but bowed out of the competition early to take part in the 31st Sea Games.  

Coach Hoshide’s focus remains unchanged, nonetheless. His expectations of the team from the opening match onwards remains as it’s always been, stating, “I would like for us to dominate from the starting kick off all the way until the end of the season. I would like to bring a trophy to Iloilo—that’s our goal!”

“Kaya has the talent, the attributes, the fire, everything; it’s just us against ourselves,” Fujii reaffirmed about the team’s mindset entering the season. “I think this team that we have right now can do it, definitely.”

Gates open two (2) hours before kickoff and while Grandstand tickets are priced at P150, Seniors, Students, PWDs, and Kaya Weekly subscribers enter for just P100. The match will also be streamed online via the PFL’s Facebook and YouTube pages.