The Lion City Sailors will look to wrap up their inaugural ASEAN Club Championship (ACC) Shopee Cup campaign on a high when they face reigning Philippines champions Kaya FC–Iloilo on Thursday (6 February) night at the Biñan Football Stadium.
Up against a dominant force in Philippines
Kaya FC are undoubtedly the dominant force in their domestic league, having won the last two Philippines Football League (PFL) titles. Last season, they went unbeaten with 13 wins and a draw, scoring an impressive 82 goals and conceding just five across 14 matches.
They have started the 2024/25 season strongly as well, coming from behind to defeat Dynamic Herb (DH) Cebu 3-1 over the weekend (2 February) to extend their lead at the top of the table to four points, with seven wins and a draw so far.
While they were unable to progress beyond the Asian Football Confederation Champions League (ACL) Two group stage, they have secured some credible results, including a 2-1 away win over Hong Kong’s Eastern SC, and a 1-1 home draw against Japan’s Sanfrecce Hiroshima — the only team to take points off the Japanese side.
However, things have not gone according to plan for them in the ACC Shopee Cup, with four defeats in as many matches consigning them to the bottom of Group B.
Kaya’s clash with the Sailors will be played at Biñan Football Stadium in Laguna, approximately an hour’s drive from downtown Manila, instead of Rizal Memorial Stadium, which is undergoing pitch renovations ahead of the upcoming AFC Asian Cup qualifiers.
Nonetheless, Kaya head coach Yu Hoshide is determined to secure their first points in the competition on Thursday.
“We haven’t picked up any points so far, and with this being our last game, we’re obviously disappointed. But we’ve improved, and tomorrow we hope to get all three points,” said the 47-year-old Japanese coach at the pre-match press conference.
“It won’t be easy playing in a different stadium, and on an artificial pitch, but we still have an advantage (playing in the Philippines), and we’ll give our best. Overall, it’s been a good experience in the Shopee Cup, and hopefully, we can get a win for our supporters tomorrow.”
Some familiar faces
The Sailors will come up against a couple of familiar faces in Kaya’s Japanese duo, Kaishu Yamazaki and Shuto Komaki. Kaishu was part of the Sailors’ squad in their inaugural 2020 season, where he scored two goals in 13 Singapore Premier League (SPL) appearances, while Komaki featured for Albirex Niigata (S) in their title-winning campaign last season, playing three times against the Sailors.
The rest of Kaya’s squad includes several seasoned Azkals veterans, such as 40-year-old vice-captain Simone Rota, along with Fitch Arboleda, Jovin Bedic, Marwin Angeles, and Patrick Deyto.
However, Kaya’s bid for a win has been slightly affected by the recent departures of key attackers Daizo Horikoshi and Robert Lopez Mendy, although the loan signing of Pocholo Bugas and the return of Gavin Muens from loan have bolstered the team.
Kaishu, however, is confident his team can overcome the Sailors, with the Japanese defender eager to show how much he has grown since leaving the club in 2021.
“We’re focused on getting all three points tomorrow, and on a personal level, I want to show the Sailors how much I’ve improved,” said Kaishu. “I’m really excited and happy to see them again, and I know a few of the players in their squad. But tomorrow, I’ll give 100% — I’m doing it for myself, for Kaya, and for our fans.”
No letting up for Sailors
The Sailors battled hard to hold Thai League 1 powerhouse Buriram United in their last outing, but it was not enough to keep their qualification hopes alive.
Nonetheless, they remain determined to finish on a high, with third place in the group still up for grabs.
“We’re coming off two strong performances in this competition. This is our last game, and we want to end it in the best possible way,” said Assistant Coach Marko Perović, who deputised for Head Coach Aleksandar Ranković who did not fly to the Philippines due to illness.
“We’re representing Singapore, so it’s very important to leave a good impression. We’re up against Kaya, who have a few quality players and are well-organised, but as I’ve said, we’ve had two solid performances, and we want to keep that momentum going.
“Against Buriram, we delivered a very good performance. They’re one of the best teams in Southeast Asia, and that result gives us a lot of optimism heading into a busy month with many games. We always play to win.”
While there may be not much riding on the outcome of this match, young Sailors forward Abdul Rasaq Akeem insists his side will approach it with the same seriousness as any other.
“This game is important for us because we didn’t start well in this competition, but we’ve improved as a team as the season has progressed,” said the 23-year-old, who will be hoping for his first continental goal for the Sailors.
“We want to show our supporters that we take every game seriously. It’s not going to be easy, but we’re well-prepared and have strong belief in this team.
“Overall, this competition has been a dream for us — to play against top teams in the region, to challenge ourselves, and to seize the opportunity to show what we can do.”