Kaya opens ASEAN club’s campaign against Malaysia

Philippine Football League champions Kaya-Iloilo will also have another international competition to look forward to when they take part in the ASEAN Club Championship, which starts next week.

Kaya open the season away on August 22 against Malaysia’s Kuala Lumpur City in Group B of the tournament commercially known as the Shopee Cup, held for the first time featuring some of the top clubs in Southeast Asia (SEA).

Interestingly, Kaya will face a team that has Philippine national team veteran Patrick Reichelt in its squad.

Reichelt is one of many Filipino players Kaya will face, the most notable being Azkals legend Neil Etheridge, who recently signed for Thailand’s Buriram United.

Etheridge moved to Southeast Asia after several years playing in England, including a season in the Premier League with Cardiff City and Championship side Birmingham City.

Also in Kaya’s group are Singapore Premier League champions Lion City Sailors, Vietnam V.League 1 winners Cong An Ha Noi and Indonesian Liga 1 regular series champions and third-placed team Borneo Samarinda in the championship series.

After Kuala Lumpur City, Kaya face Etheridge and Buriram in another away match on September 26 before the Shopee Cup resumes in 2025 with three games against Ha Noi (January 9 at Rizal Memorial Stadium), Borneo (January 23) and Lion City (February 6). The top two clubs will advance to the home-and-away semi-finals, scheduled for April 2 and 30, joining the top two teams from Group A.

Group A features BG Pathum United from Thailand, Terengganu FC from Malaysia, PSM Makassar from Indonesia, Dong A Thanh Koa from Vietnam, Preah Khan Reach Svay Rieng from Cambodia and Shan United from Myanmar.

The finals, also held in two stages, will be on May 14 and 21. The Shopee Cup is the first of two overseas tournaments for Kaya, which will be competing in the Asian Football Confederation Champions League 2, which is scheduled to start in September. INQ