Kaya, Cebu take brutal defeats in ACL opener

–Kaya-Iloilo FC

Kaya-Iloilo and Dynamic Herb Cebu suffered brutal defeats on Thursday as their respective campaigns got underway in the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Champions League Two.

In Japan, Kaya was blanked by J.League side Sanfreece Hiroshima, 3-0, while Cebu got battered at Rizal Memorial Stadium, 6-0, by South Korea’s Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors.

It was not a start the two Philippines Football League sides were hoping for in their latest foray in the Asian club competitions after Kaya lost all matches in the ACL and Cebu winning only once in the AFC Cup.

“Of course, we didn’t come here to lose badly, we came to win the game,” said Cebu coach Mustafa Ati Goksu. “We started well in the first 15 minutes, but Jeonbuk [was] the better team.”

Next games

Cebu’s next match in Group H is on Oct. 3 against Malaysian Super League side Selangor in Petaling Jaya.

Kaya, on the other hand, makes its home debut on Oct. 3 at Rizal Memorial opposite Australia’s Sydney FC, another tough assignment for the PFL titleholders in Group E.

For the meantime, the two clubs will resume final preparations for their domestic duties with the PFL season set to start on Sept. 28.

Cebu won’t start the league campaign until the following day against Mendiola FC 1991 at Rizal.