Filipinas-powered Kaya on cusp of Singapore crown

Dionesa Tolentin (front) and Zhyrelle Belluga celebrate the Kaya win. —CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

Several members of the Philippine women’s football team put Kaya-Iloilo on the verge of ruling the SingaCup Women’s Football Championship in Singapore.

Hali Long, Inna Palacios, Anicka Castañeda and Alisha del Campo are among the Filipinas who have given Kaya two victories over Singapore’s Lion City Sailors and Thailand’s Phranakorn FC.

A win over Indonesia’s Persib Bandung Putri on Friday will cap off a successful campaign for Kaya in its first international tournament since the pandemic.

Kaya has been focusing most of its time playing in the 7’s Football League, a local seven-aside competition.

The squad handled by former national team coach Let Dimzon began the Singapore sojourn with a 3-1 thumping of Lion City with Dionesa Tolentin scoring twice and Maye Mendano accounting for the other goal.

Del Campo produced a hat trick to highlight the 6-0 blanking of Phranakorn at Bedok Stadium.

Castañeda, Shelah Cadag and Irish Navaja were the other goalscorers for Kaya against the Thai side.

Kaya’s last opponent from Indonesia lost its two matches to Lion City and Phranakorn by similar 3-1 scorelines.

The four regular members of the Filipinas squad are focusing on club duties ahead of the much-awaited draw for next year’s Fifa (International Federation of Association Football) Women’s World Cup takes place on Saturday.

New Zealand will host the draw which features a star-studded cast led by former United States star Carli Lloyd.