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| Photo from PFF |
by Drew Malihan
MANILA - Reigning Filipino women's football league champions Kaya FC-Iloilo will create history as they will feature in the inaugural AFC Women's Champions League starting in October.
The Filipino club will be among the top eight women's teams that will receive a direct invite to the upcoming continental tournament as the Philippines were seventh in the member's association rankings.
The main tournament will be composed of 12 teams in three groups of four, where they will play a round-robin format in a centralized venue.
China and Vietnam will host one group each, with another one to be determined on a later date.
Joining Kaya in the group stages are Urawa Red Diamonds from Japan, Naegohyang WFC from North Korea, Melbourne City from Australia, Wuhan Jiangda University from China, Hyundai Steel Red Angels from South Korea, Ho Chi Minh City from Vietnam, and Taichung Blue Whale from Chinese Taipei.
Fourteen more teams will play in a preliminary stage that will feature four groups from August 25 to 31, with Jordan, Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, and Thailand being the designated hosts.
The four group winners will join the eight direct invitees to the group stage to complete the 12 teams, where eight of them will progress to the knockout rounds.
Kaya will receive a minimum of USD100,000 along with other Group Stage entrants with add-ons depending on their tournament placements, meaning that the inaugural winners will earn at least USD1.3 million.
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