Kaya, Ceres battle pair of S-League XIs tonight

UNITED Football League powerhouse Kaya seeks to ride the momentum of its historic victory the last time out when it clashes with Balestier Khalsa of Singapore in Group F play of the AFC Cup at Rizal Memorial Stadium.

Kickoff is at 7 p.m. with Kaya aiming to take top spot in the group with a victory against the Singapore League side, which leads the bracket with four points from two matches.

Kaya opened the tournament with a 0-1 loss to Kitchee of Hong Kong, but bounced back with a 1-0 triumph over New Radiant of Maldives, thanks to a last-gasp strike from OJ Porteria last Tuesday.

“It’s our most important game yet because I feel that a win will give us one foot into the next round,” said Porteria. “We have to play better than the last game to get three points.”

Kitchee and Kaya are a point behind Balestier with the Hong Kong side just ahead of the Filipinos on goals scored.

“It’s a very even group where every point counts, and hopefully we can come over and get a good result and finish in the Top Two,” said Balestier’s German-Croatian coach Marco Kraljevic. “How we are going to play depends on how Kaya will push us.”

Ceres-La Salle vs Tampines Rovers

Ceres-La Salle also takes on S-League side Tampines Rovers in an away match at Jalan Besar Stadium in a Group E encounter.

The Bacolod side, which overwhelmed Sheikh Jamal of Bangladesh, 2-0, last Tuesday, hopes its sharp form away from home continues against a side that has grabbed maximum six points in its first two games.

“It’s a big advantage for us to play Tampines as we played two preseason matches in Singapore,” said Ceres coach Franklin Muescan, who will be without suspended defender Kevin Ingreso.

Ceres is in second spot in the group with four points from two matches. Spanish striker Adrian Gallardo is in scintillating form with three goals from the last two games, including a brace in Dhaka.