BISHKEK — Kaya FC-Iloilo secured its place in the 2026-27 AFC Women’s Champions League (AWCL) Group Stage after playing to a goalless draw against Hong Kong champion TSL FC on Sunday, closing the preliminary stage with seven points atop Group B.
The result made Kaya FC-Iloilo the third consecutive Filipino professional club to reach the AWCL main draw. Kaya first qualified for the competition in the 2024-25 season, followed by Stallion Laguna’s historic run to the quarterfinals in 2025-26.
Kaya opened its campaign with a 6-0 win over host club FC Ilbirs on August 17, then defeated Cambodia’s Phnom Penh Crown FC, 5-1, on August 20. Sunday’s draw against TSL was enough to send Kaya through, with the reigning three-time PFF Women’s League (PWL) champion finishing ahead of the Hong Kong side on goal difference, 10 to 6.
PFF President John Anthony Gutierrez congratulated the club on its qualification.
“Kaya FC-Iloilo’s third straight qualification to the AWCL Group Stage speaks to the growing consistency of our women’s professional clubs on the international stage. This is a testament to the global standard of Philippine women’s football, a program that has been painstakingly built across decades and continues to deliver internationally.”
TSL pressed from the opening exchanges, with Chan Yee Hing testing goalkeeper Yasmin Elauria with a long lob off a counterattack in the 20th minute. Janae DeFazio headed narrowly over from a right-wing set piece four minutes later.
Reigning PWL Best Defender Saki Yoshida beat TSL’s Filipina forward Isabella Bandoja in a dangerous 1v1 situation inside the box in the 28th minute, while Maye Mendaño’s shot from inside the box was deflected away by the TSL defense in the 32nd minute.
Elauria, the former Far Eastern University standout and reigning PFF Futsaliga Best Goalkeeper, produced a one-handed save to deny Leung Hong Kiu Anke’s shot from the left flank in the 42nd minute.
Deep into first-half stoppage time, Jay Tolentino forced a save from TSL goalkeeper Ng Cheuk Wai from a right-wing attack, before Chan wasted a dangerous chance off a Bandoja feed from the right.
Elauria remained central to Kaya’s resistance in the second half, saving a Bandoja effort from inside the six-yard box in the 49th minute. TSL continued to press, with Lucia Ko’s shot from outside the box narrowly missing the target in the 79th minute.
Elauria, named Woman of the Match, came up big again in the closing stages, claiming a dangerous long ball intended for an onrushing Chan in the 86th minute before saving a low Ko effort from outside the box in second-half stoppage time.
Finally, PWL Best Midfielder Sarahgen Tulabing snuffed out TSL’s last chance in the fourth minute of stoppage time to seal the result.
Kaya head coach David Basa credited his squad’s resolve after the match.
“For us it’s really a hard work win, a hard working point. The girls showed their fighting spirit until the end. Even [though] we got pressed by TSL, they didn’t give up till the last minute. It shows in their character that they really want to win [and] they want to go to the next stage. We’ll have our team recover then, step by step, we’ll look at what we can improve more, what we can do more as a team.”
Filipina players in AWCL
Gutierrez also extended his congratulations to Filipina players who featured for foreign clubs during the AWCL Preliminary Stage.
Aside from the Kaya players, Alyssa Ube will be another Filipina to participate in the AWCL group stage as her Myanmar-based club Ayeyawady won, 1-0, against Taiwan’s Hang Yuan FC in Group F.
Meanwhile, Philippine women’s national football team captain Hali Long scored for Thailand’s College of Asian Scholars; Philippine women’s national futsal team members Isabella Bandoja and Lanie Ortillo turned out for TSL FC; Yanzi Yalong played for Bhutan’s Royal Thimphu College.
“Beyond Kaya’s qualification, we take pride in seeing Filipinas represent clubs across the region in this tournament. Their presence on these rosters reflects the depth of talent our women’s football program has produced and reinforces the standing of Filipino players across Asian competitions,” Gutierrez said.
The AWCL 2026-27 Group Stage will be held from November 1 to 7, 2026, with the official draw set for September 3, 2026.
