MANILA – Kaya Iloilo opened its 2018 Philippine Football League – Copa Paulino Alcantara campaign with a 4-0 drubbing of Global Cebu at the Rizal Memorial Football Stadium.
Robert Lopez Mendy – currently the leading scorer in the league – finished with a hat trick while Miguel Tanton added a conversion as Kaya took the lead in Group B on Saturday.
Lopez Mendy put Kaya on the board in the early minutes of the match but this was ruled as an offside.
The Senegalese was quick to recover as he made his team surge in the 23rd minute with a shot from outside of the box.
Kaya widened the lead at the onset of the second half with a free kick from Tanton before pulling away for good with conversions from Lopez Mendy in the 55th and 62nd minutes.
“We’ll take it one game at a time. Our primary objective is to top the group,” said Kaya head coach Noel Marcaida.
“That will give us an opportunity to bring the semifinals in front of all the Ilonggo fans. We love to play in front of our Ilonggo fans,” he added.
Back-to-back League champion Ceres Negros, meanwhile, did not get the start it wanted after suffering a 1-3 defeat in the hands of Davao Aguilas in the second game.
Both teams struggled early in the match until Aguilas suddenly surged to a 2-0 lead at the half – Matthew Hartmann fired one in the 38th minute while Phil Younghusband scored from outside of the box in the 40th.
Ceres was able to pull one back early in the second half on a penalty kick by Blake Powell but Aguilas increased its advantage with Tajh Minniecon converting in the 76th minute./PN
