Kaya to host Shandong in September as AFC Champions League groups known

Photo from PFL

by Drew Malihan

MANILA - Marouane Fellaini and Takuma Nishimura against Daizo Horikoshi and Jovin Bedic? Yes please.

Kaya FC-Iloilo will play host to teams from top-tier leagues in East Asia as the group stage participants have been drawn last Thursday.

The Lions will face 2022 J.League champions Yokohama F Marinos, 2022 Chinese FA Cup and Chinese Super League runners-up Shandong Taishan, and 2022 K League fourth placers Incheon United.

The Taishan Dui and the Marinos directly qualified into the group stage along with Kaya, while Incheon qualified to their group with a 3-1 win in extra time against Vietnamese league runners-up Haiphong.

Kaya will try to better their performance in their third stint in the ACL with their first-ever win, as they were dumped by Sydney FC 0-5 in the 2022 edition, while they lose all six games in the 2021 edition, scoring only two goals.

The Iloilo City-based team will host Shandong in their first game on September 19 inside the Rizal Memorial Stadium in Manila, 465 kilometers away before heading to Incheon Football Stadium two weeks later.

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