Two-time reigning champions of the Philippines Football League, Kaya FC-Iloilo are the new force to be reckoned with in the Southeast Asian nation and are set to step foot on the ASEAN Club Championship Shopee Cup™ stage which gets underway this month.
Kaya secured back-to-back league titles in July, finishing as Invincibles with an impressive 13 wins and a draw in their 14 league matches, scoring an incredible 82 goals and conceding just five along the way.
Honours
Philippines Football League (2): 2024, 2022-23
Copa Paulino Alcantara (3): 2023, 2021, 2018
Club Highlights
Founded in 1996, Kaya’s club name is derived from legendary musician Bob Marley’s tenth studio album “Kaya” with the club first leaving their mark in 2015 when they defeated Ceres-Negros to lift the UFL Cup followed by reaching the Round of 16 in their debut appearance in the AFC Cup a year later.
Since then, the club representing the Iloilo province have won the league title twice while also recording three domestic cup triumphs along with regular appearances in the AFC Champions League and the AFC Cup, and they will now aim to make that experience count at the inaugural edition of the Shopee Cup.
Head Coach: Yu Hoshide
Born in Tokyo, Yu Hoshide’s playing career saw him play as a midfielder for clubs spanning from Japan to Trinidad and Tobago, turning out in competitions like Emperor’s Cup, Singapore Cup and the CONCACAF Champions League followed by arriving in the Philippines to win multiple league titles with the now-defunct Global FC. The 46-year-old has seamlessly transitioned into a managerial career and has been a crucial part of Kaya’s success since 2020.
Key Player: Shuto Komaki
Following the departure of fan favourite Jarvey Gayoso, much of Kaya’s goalscoring duties will now be on the shoulders of Shuto Komaki, who arrived in the Philippines with a great reputation after helping Albirex Niigata (S) win the Singapore Premier League title in 2023. The 24-year-old winger lived up to the promise, scoring 10 goals and providing eight assists in just 11 league matches for Kaya in 2024 and he now hopes to replicate that eye-catching form on the international stage.
One To Watch: Mark Swainston
A product of Kitchee SC’s youth academy, Mark Swainston spent the majority of his career in Hong Kong before signing for Kaya in August last year and then went on to impress new national team head coach Tom Saintfiet who handed him his senior national team debut in the recent FIFA World Cup Qualifiers. Having also scored his first league goal in the Philippines versus Manila Montet in June, confidence is high for the defensive midfielder and, come the Shopee Cup, Swainston will target nailing down a starting lineup spot at Kaya.
Did You Know?
Marwin Angeles scored Kaya’s first-ever AFC Champions League goal in the year 2021 against fellow Shopee Cup participants BG Pathum United of Thailand.
Shopee Cup Fixtures
Kuala Lumpur City FC vs Kaya FC-Iloilo (22 August, 2024)
Buriram United vs Kaya FC-Iloilo (26 September, 2024)
Kaya FC-Iloilo vs Công An Hà Nôi FC (9 January, 2025)
Borneo FC Samarinda vs Kaya FC-Iloilo (23 January, 2025)
Kaya FC-Iloilo vs Lion City Sailors FC (6 February, 2025)
Photo: Kaya FC-Iloilo
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