Kaya-Iloilo closed its 2023-2024 AFC Champions League campaign with a 1-3 loss to South Korean side Incheon United Wednesday at the Rizal Memorial Stadium in Manila.
The newly-crowned 2023 Copa Paulino Alcantara winners found themselves two goals down before the end of the first half. Seung-Ho Park and Woo-Jin Choi scored in the 12th and 25th minutes respectively to give the visitors a commanding two-goal cushion entering the break.
However, Kaya gave itself light at the end of the tunnel minutes after the halftime interval. Defender Simone Rota pulled one back for the home side in the 53rd minute but that was as good as it got for Kaya as Kim Do-Hyuk converted a 90+4 minute penalty to seal the win for Incheon United.
Kaya finished the last of Group G with zero points after six straight losses.
On the other hand, Incheon United accrued 12 points behind four wins but lost out on a ticket to the knockouts due to an inferior head-to-head goal difference against Japan’s Yokohama F. Marinos and Chinese club Shandong Taishan, who both have 12 points each as well.
Meanwhile, it was a similar story for Stallion Laguna in the 2023-2024 AFC Cup as it ended its campaign with a 0-3 defeat to Central Coast Mariners at the Biñan Football Stadium.
Marco Tulio scored a brace for the A-League Men’s side in the 23rd and 79th minutes while Christian Theoharous put the ball at the back of the net in the 63rd minute.
Stallion finished last in Group G with one point after one draw and five defeats while Central Coast advanced to the zonal semi-finals after topping their group with 13 points on the back of four wins, one draw, and one defeat.
