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| Kaya Iloilo is still the queen of women's 7's football in Mega Manila. Jihan Caparros/7's Football League |
MANILA--Kaya Iloilo continued to impose its will as the country's best women's football club after beating Manila Nomads, 4-1, in the women's final of the AIA 7's Football League Season 9 on Sunday night at the Atleta 63 Football Field inside the Bridgetowne Complex in Pasig.
Anicka Castaneda struck first for Kaya Iloilo with a close-range strike in the fourth minute, which was the only goal scored in the first half of the regulation.
Jazinda Bora made it 2-0 in the 28th minute before Sara Castaneda swelled Kaya Iloilo's lead further to three with a 36th-minute goal.
Nomads tried to forge a rally in the comeback period as Lylhanie Cayabyab scored the club's first goal, denying a clean sheet from Inna Palacios, right when the clock struck three minutes, just before the match was cut to a 6-on-6.
However, it came at a price as Cayabyab, mainly due to exhaustion, was stretchered out of the pitch.
Sara Castaneda iced the match for Kaya Iloilo with another goal as she completed her brace 11 minutes into the comeback period.
This is Kaya Iloilo’s fifth championship in the AIA 7’s Football League women’s division.
Meanwhile, a new champion was crowned in the men's division after Lamasia Football Club took down Manila Digger FC, 4-2, in an intense men's final.
Ugochukwu Ebere of Lamasia FC opened the scoring for Lamasia in the 15th minute, but Manila Digger FC’s Emmanuel Donkor responded with goals in the 18th and 19th minute marks to put Digger up, 2-1, at the half.
Michael Moto struck one back for Lamasia in the 31st minute before Bolaji Idris gave the club the lead again with a free-kick goal in the 39th minute.
Moto's clutch heroics continued in the comeback period as he sealed Lamasia's championship with his brace in the eighth minute of the extension when the match was reduced to a 5-on-5.
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