MANILA – Kaya Futbol Club-Iloilo is slowly fortifying its roster ahead of the local and international competitions this year by re-signing Dylan De Bruycker and Japanese Daizo Horikoshi.
The Filipino-Belgian De Bruycker, who is on his second season with the Iloilo City-based football club, will continue to bring a wealth of experience, having played on the international level with the Philippine Azkals.
De Bruycker has suited up for the Philippine team in 2017 for the 2018 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Under-23 Championship qualification. He also made it to back-to-back Southeast Asian Games squads, the first in 2017 and the other last year.
Horikoshi, on the other hand, will continue adding stability to the squad, with the Japanese having played for Singapore’s Albirex Niigata in 2020.
Meanwhile, there is still no word if Ilonggo forward Jesus Melliza and midfielder Fitch Arboleda have already come to terms with Kaya-Iloilo following their departure from Stallion Laguna FC.
Stallion Laguna head coach Ernest Nierras recently said the two opted to leave the squad as they will join a team that will compete in the upcoming AFC Cup.
The Iloilo City-based football club will face Australia’s Brisbane Roar in the preliminary round of the AFC Champions League on April 7. The winner will face Beijing FC in a playoff for a spot in the group stage on April 14.
Should the club pull off two consecutive upsets against the Aussie and Chinese side, they will compete in Group F of the AFC Champions League group stage against Thailand’s BG Pathum United FC, South Korea’s Ulsan Hyundai, and Vietnam’s Viettel.
But, if the team drops either of the two matches; they will be relegated to the second tier 2021 AFC Cup for the second straight year and will battle either Shan United FC or Ayeyawady United FC from Myanmar, Terengganu FC from Malaysia, and Geylang International FC from Singapore.
Locally, Kaya-Iloilo will also participate in the Copa Paulino Alcantara tentatively scheduled on April.
The team hoped to regain the championship they lost to United City FC in 2019./PN
