Kaya Makati and Global Cebu Clash in Vital Top Four Encounter

With the battle heating up to secure the top four spots in the Philippines Football League, Saturday’s clash at the University of Makati between Kaya Makati and Global Cebu comes at a vital stage of the season. Both teams are jockeying for position in the top half of the table, with the winner gaining an important advantage in the next round.

“It’s going to be massive. Both teams know the importance of Saturday’s game. Coming from the Ceres match, there’s a bit of disappointment, but looking forward, we’re looking to get the three points against Global,” said Kaya Makati head coach Noel Marcaida.

Global Cebu head coach Akbar Nawas agreed with the gravity of Saturday’s contest.

“At this stage of the season, especially for the clubs looking for the top four for the playoffs, every game is important. So I guess it’s a must-win for both sides. But having said that, we still need to go out there and play our best and see if the result goes our way,” he said.

Currently Kaya Makati has 41 points from 24 outings, good enough for second place in the PFL table. Global sits two places below, with 37 points from 22 games. A win from Makati would reinstate an important buffer for Kaya, while a defeat would allow Cebu to gain a significant advantage in the season’s final stretch.

Robert Lopez Mendy, however isn’t too interested in the complications of how the Finals Series pans out.

“Only one thing comes to my mind, and that’s playing in the AFC [Cup], no matter what. So to do that we need to win all our games,” he said.

The last time the two teams tangled was in Cebu, in a match that ended scoreless. Prior to that, the pair played to a 2-2 draw at the University of Makati stadium.

“We’re very positive going into Saturday’s game. In the previous two games that we played Global, I think we can say that we were dominant, especially the one where we played on their home turf in Cebu. I think that was one of the best games we’ve played,” said Noel Marcaida. “We were just unlucky not to get that chance in front of goal. But looking forward we’ll make sure that if we create chances, we’ll make sure that we convert.”

The match will kickoff at 4pm, with all tickets sales being donated to the ICanServe Foundation, in support of early detection efforts of breast cancer.

Tickets can be purchased through SM Tickets: https://smtickets.com/events/view/5721