Kaya goes home, gifts Ilonggos with victory

Senegalese striker Robert Lopez Mendy bagged a hat trick as Kaya FC Iloilo came up with a memorable home debut by drubbing Davao Aguilas, 4-2, on Sunday night to zoom to top spot in the Philippines Football League at Iloilo Sports Complex.

Jordan Mintah opened the scoring for Kaya just 50 seconds into the match with a clever right footed finish, before Mendy ran riot against an error prone Davao defense, boosting the Iloilo side to its fourth straight victory.

“We wanted the fans to go home happy,” said Iloilo head coach Noel Marcaida. “It’s a victory that will be written in the history books. There was pressure in that it was our first game in front of the Ilonggos, our first chance to showcase how Kaya plays. That first goal took the pressure off.”

Joven Bedic, who grew up in Barotac Nuevo, captained Kaya in its first game in its new home, assisting on Mintah’s seventh goal of the season.

Mendy doubled the advantage a few minutes later, poking home inside the area after Nick O Donnel spilled a routine save.

The Aguilas mounted a comeback with James Younghusband nodding in from a corner kick early in the second half, but Mendy restored the two-goal cushion just seven minutes later. —CEDELF P. TUPAS