THE ODDS are stacked against Kaya FC as it aims for a quarterfinal spot versus Malaysian powerhouse Johor Darul Ta’zim on Wednesday night in the AFC Cup.
Not only will Kaya be facing the competition’s big-spending defending champions, the Filipino side will also play in front of a hostile crowd of about 30,000 at Larkin Stadium in Johor Bahru, near the Malaysia-Singapore border.
But Kaya is relishing the prospect of creating the biggest upset of the second-tier continental tournament, with skipper Aly Borromeo liking his side’s chances, drawing inspiration from the 2010 Azkals he captained to a stunning defeat of Vietnam in Hanoi in the Suzuki Cup.
“Playing in front of 30,000 people is an experience of a lifetime,” said Borromeo. “It’s a milestone for Philippine football and for our club.”
Kaya emerged as the No. 2 team from its group with three wins, a draw and two losses to forge a clash against the Malaysian side which went unbeaten in six matches in the stage.
Malaysian team stalwarts
The United Football League side has Azkals Kenshiro Daniels and OJ Porteria, but Johor boasts stalwarts of the Malaysian national team in Amri Yahyah, Safee Sali and Safiq Rahim.
Borromeo knows the margin for error for his side will be slim as Johor brandished sharpness and precision on attack in sweeping the group stage.
“We have to be compact the whole 90 minutes,” he said. “We have to be smart on the attacking third and not force it. We can’t afford a breakdown at midfield because they have very creative players.”
Kaya is one of two Filipino sides in the knockout stage of the AFC Cup, with the other team, Ceres-La Salle, slated to play South China of Hong Kong in a Round of 16 clash at Panaad Stadium in Bacolod City last night.