BACOLOD CITY — Kaya FC-Iloilo is banking on the collective effort of its players to taint Ceres-Negros’ perfect record in the second season of the Philippines Football League (PFL) during their 7 p.m. match at the Panaad Stadium on Saturday night.
Kaya FC head coach Noel Marcaida said the game is “very important” for the team as they would have “the chance to get the three points away from Ceres-Negros.”
“All it takes is a collective effort from our players,” he said during a press conference on Friday night.
During their match at the Panaad Stadium on April 4, Ceres-Negros defeated Kaya FC-Iloilo, 2-1, a result which Marcaida then described as “heartbreaking.”
Kaya FC scored a series of wins in their last two matches, beating Stallion Laguna FC and JPV Marikina FC, both 4-1, on April 22 and May 5, respectively.
Ceres-Negros assistant coach Ronald Ian Treyes acknowledged the difficulty for the team to juggle two tournaments at the same time.
This week, Ceres-Negros is also playing for the Philippines in the Asian Football Conference ASEAN Zonal semi-finals.
The home team foiled Myanmar’s Yangon United, 4-2, in the first leg at Panaad Stadium on May 9 and will play the second leg match in Yangon’s Thuwunna Stadium on May 16.
“We need some adjustments for the players, especially those who played last Wednesday. We will give them rest first,” Treyes said. “To be honest, we’re going to use our other players (on Saturday). I expect guys like Dods (Arnie Pasinabo) and the rest to step up as we may miss some who have played last Wednesday.”
Nevertheless, the Ceres-Negros mentor said they expect a good game with Kaya FC on Saturday night.
“We have to stick to our plan to achieve our goals,” he added. (PNA)
