MANILA – Kaya Futbol Club-Iloilo capped off its championship run in the 2024 Philippines Football League with a 3-0 beating of Loyola Meralco Sparks FC on Saturday night at the Rizal Memorial Coliseum.
Mar Diano, Simone Rota, and Jovin Bedic converted a goal each as the back-to-back PFL champions finished the season with a league-leading 40 points on 13 victories and a draw.
“Siyempre ‘yung goal naman talaga is makuha ‘yung PFL championship then nag-play kami as a team, together,” Kaya-Iloilo veteran Marwin Angeles said in a post-game interview.
Kaya-Iloilo opened the scoring in the 28th minute as Diano weaved through the traffic to convert from close range following a corner kick from South Korean forward Lee Dok-yung.
Three minutes from Diano’s conversion, Rota doubled the advantage for the Iloilo City-based football club as he knocked down a header from a curling pass by Jhan Jesus Melliza.
Kaya-Iloilo widened the lead further just before the halftime break as team captain Bedic drilled one from close range after Melliza slotted the ball to him inside the penalty box.
Rota, who was hobbled by injury almost the entire tournament, said he was glad that Kaya-Iloilo was able to complete a perfect season ahead of the football club’s international campaign.
“I was not able to play most of the games this season because I am injured, I am happy that I was able to help the team win today,” Rota said during his Player of the Game interview.
“Because we promised to ourselves that we have to finish strong, that is our mentality because not too far we will go to another tournament and we want to keep this winning mentality,” he added.
Loyola Meralco Sparks capped their season at eighth place with 16 points on five wins, one draw, and eight losses./PN
