Rizal Memorial Stadium — Kaya FC–Iloilo continued their perfect start to the 2026/27 Philippines Football League campaign with a commanding 5–0 victory over Philippine Army FC, overcoming a physical contest to secure another clean sheet and a third straight win to open the new season.
Kaya wasted little time in finding the breakthrough. In the seventh minute, Seong-Jin Kim delivered a pinpoint corner to the far post, where Sebastian Avanzini rose to meet it with a header and put the men in black ahead. It was Avanzini’s first goal in a Kaya shirt.
The lead was doubled just six minutes later. Mike Ott sent a long ball into the penalty area, where Kim headed it down towards the six-yard box. Martini Rey rose to meet it, guiding a difficult volley past the goalkeeper to make it 2–0.
The physical battle reached a boiling point in the 31st minute when former Kaya player Jalsor Soriano was shown a straight red card for elbowing Justin Peña in the head, leaving Philippine Army with ten men. A scuffle followed, with former Kaya player Chy Villaseñor and Patrick Deyto both receiving yellow cards.
Kaya added a third just before halftime. Carrying the ball up the left flank in the 41st minute, Ott sent a low cross into the box. Rey dummied the delivery, leaving it for Kim, who slotted the ball home from close range for his first goal for the club.
The second half brought another goal for Kaya in the 56th minute, this time with the roles reversed. Kim slid the ball into Ott’s path at the edge of the box, giving the midfielder just enough room to unleash a powerful strike into the top corner for his first goal of the season.
The scoring was rounded off in the 88th minute by Antoine Ortega, fresh from his Asian Games call-up. After being brought down inside the penalty area, Ortega stepped up to take the spot kick he had earned himself, confidently sending it into the bottom-right corner for his first goal in a Kaya shirt.
The late stages also provided an opportunity for three players to make their mark. Ricardo Verza returned to competitive action after missing the entirety of last season through injury, while newcomer Kevin Moukouta was handed his first minutes in a Kaya shirt. The pair both had opportunities to add to the scoreline late on, showing promising signs as they continued to find their rhythm and get their legs under them.
The closing minutes brought another milestone as 17-year-old Kaya Academy product Johann Wicklein was introduced for his first taste of professional football. The young defender saw out the final stages as Kaya completed the 5–0 victory and secured another clean sheet.
Five goals, another clean sheet, and a third straight win to start the new season rounded out another strong performance from Kaya.
Goals: Avanzini ‘7; Rey ‘13; Kim ‘41; Ott ‘56; Ortega ‘88
Starting Lineup: 4-3-3
LF: Arboleda ST: Rey RF: Kim
CM: Ott CDM: Esso© CM: Peña
LB: Menzi CB: Casambre CB: Avanzini RB: Diano
GK: Deyto
Subs: Bencio, Shamsudeen, Guimarães, Ortega, Verza, Rosquillo, Wicklein, Enriquez, Fujikawa, Alipoon
Coach Bobae Park made five personnel changes during the match, introducing three debutants and our third youth player this season:
- Kevin Moukouta made his Kaya debut, checking in alongside Jaime Rosquillo for Justin Peña and Audie Menzi in the 60th minute.
- Ricardo Verza made his long-awaited return to the pitch, coming on alongside Antoine Ortega to replace Martini Rey and Seong-Jin Kim in the 78th minute.
- Lastly, Kaya FC Academy’s Johann Wicklein closed the game out for Marco Casambre in the 89th minute.
