Kaya FC-Iloilo battles Tampines Rovers in AFC Champions League

Match on Thursday
(New Clark City Stadium)
6 p.m. – Kaya FC-Iloilo vs Tampines Rovers FC

KAYA FC-Iloilo looks to build on its gains from last season as it vies for a strong showing in the 2025-2026 AFC Champions League Two (ACL Two) hostilities.

The three-time Philippine titlist takes on Singapore’s Tampines Rovers on Thursday at the New Clark City Stadium in Tarlac, seeking to sustain the momentum from its historic stint in the previous campaign.

Last time, Kaya scored the first win for a Philippine side in the revamped competition, a 2-1 verdict over Hong Kong’s Eastern SC on the road and battled eventual quarterfinalist Sanfrecce Hiroshima of Japan to a 1-1 draw at home before placing third in the group and bowing out.

As they start the new season at 6 p.m., the Kaya booters have set for themselves a higher target in Asia’s second-tier club competition — the Round-of-16.

“Our goal is to keep raising the standard and perform better than we did last year. We’ll do our best to get more wins and have stronger performances,” said co-captain Marco Casambre.

Aside from Tampines, Kaya will also go up against reigning Korean FA Cup ruler Pohang Steelers and Thai League 1 runner-up BG Pathum United in a double round-robin, home-and-away slate where the Top 2 will advance.

“The experiences we’ve had have been of great help to us. We’ve learned that details matter a lot at this level — preparation, discipline, and mentality,” said Mr. Casambre. — Olmin Leyba