Kaya FC-Iloilo blows early lead, loses to Sydney FC in AFC Group Stage

By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña

The Kaya FC-Iloilo failed to sustain their momentum and received a reverse sweep at the hands of the visiting Sydney FC, 1-4, in the ongoing AFC Cup Group Stage on October 3, 2024, at the Rizal Memorial Stadium.

Kaya FC was on the verge of a promising start in the prestigious tournament after taking an early 1-0 lead courtesy of a quick conversion from Daizo Horikoshi.

However, all the loud cheers and wide smiles instantly switched to a disappointing atmosphere as the football club from Australia scored four straight goals to frustrate the Iloilo-based squad.

After Horikoshi’s goal that gave Kaya FC a brief 1-0 lead, Sydney FC retaliated in the 26^th minute when Joe Lolley took advantage of Iloilo’s defensive miscue.

A confusion in the area coverage paved the way for Lolley’s wide-open lane, firing a well-placed rolling goal that equalized the contest at 1-1.

Both teams traded offensive attempts in the remaining time frame of the first half, leaving the game to a 50-50 contest heading into the final 45 minutes of the game.

In the crucial half of the AFC qualifiers, Sydney FC showed a more lethal approach after firing three goals that stunned Kaya FC.

Patryk Klimala kicked off Sydney’s second-half madness with a conversion 14 minutes after the half-time whistle and capped off his performance with a brace as he found the back of the net in the 63^rd minute.

Sydney’s killer blow came three minutes after the extension period, courtesy of a looping kick converted by Nathan Amanatidis.

On the other hand, Dynamic Herb Cebu FC, the other representative in the AFC Cup Qualifiers, lost in a tightly-contested matchup against Selangor FC of Malaysia, 1-0.