Kaya Football is Back for Copa Paulino Alcantara Kaya FC-Iloilo will look to recapture the domestic scene and take the first step on their journey back to Asian stage.

On hiatus from competitive action since July’s Champions League run, Kaya FC-Iloilo’s long-awaited return to the pitch is finally official, and it’s just around the corner. On November 7, opening night of the 2021 Copa Paulino Alcantara, the club faces the Azkals Development Team. Six clubs will be battling it out at the PFF National Football Center in Carmona in a bid to assert dominance on the domestic football scene this year. To make things sweeter, the bonus prize for winning it all is one Kaya’s quite familiar with: a ticket to the qualifying round of next year’s AFC Champions League.

The Cup will take place from November 7-19 at the PFF National Football Center, and will include familiar holdovers United City FC, Stallion Laguna FC, Mendiola FC 1991, and the newly-established Dynamic Herb Cebu FC. The six teams begin the competition in two groups, with the top two moving on to a single-match Semifinal. In the recent draw, Kaya was joined by Mendiola and ADT in Group B, while Group A was composed of UCFC, Stallion, and Cebu.

In order to return to Asia’s top flight, Kaya FC will need to win the Copa like they did in its inaugural 2018 run. The Iloilo-side need to secure a top two finish in Group B, and then win both the semi-final and final matches in very quick succession. While not an easy proposition by any means, the players have been chomping at the bit to prove themselves and put their recent international experience to use.

Of course, none are more excited than the Kaya faithful and the Philippine football fans at large that have been patiently waiting for Philippine Club Football to ramp back up after almost a year of inactivity. As such, the Philippine Football Federation has expressed their intention to use the Copa Paulino Alcantara as the springboard for an early start in 2022.

The Group Stage kicks off against the Azkals Development Team on November 7th, 7:30PM; followed by Mendiola FC on November 10th, 4PM. While the PFF are still in talks with local broadcast partners, feel free to follow us on social media to keep updated on where the matches will be available to watch live.