CFC beats KAYA FC Iloilo in first PFL home game

CEBU FC made history by winning its first home match in the 2022 Philippines Football League (PFL) at the Dynamic Herb-Borromeo Sports Complex with a 3-2 win over Kaya FC-Iloilo in front of a loud hometown crowd on Sunday, Oct. 9, 2022.

The Gentle Giants found themselves down early after a goal by Robert Lopez Mendy in the 18th minute.

Mendy beat two defenders and struck past Cebu FC goalkeeper John Francis Zambrano.

Kaya FC’s lead was short-lived after Mert Altinoz scored the equalizer in the 33rd minute. Altinoz, a 20-year-old Turkish midfielder, score a beautiful goal from the middle, inside the box, that breezed through Kaya FC goalkeeper Quincy Kammeraad.

Cebu FC came into the second half strong and immediately scored the go-ahead goal in the 47th minute, compliments of Altinoz’s brace. He struck from the middle from a pass by fellow Turkish youngster Arda Cinkir.

Three minutes later, Cinkir dispossessed Kaya FC defender Carlyle Mitchell and went one-on-one with Kammeraad, scoring with a crisp strike just outside the box.

Kaya FC was scrambling to make a comeback and attacked aggressively but Zambrano and his defenders displayed impressive defending.

After a lot of failed attempts, Kaya FC finally found the back of the net with another goal by Lopez-Mendy in the 83rd minute following a scramble inside the box.

Cebu FC logged a crucial win by beating Kaya FC for the first time in a tight race for the league title.

“We’ve been preparing for this since the start of the league and there’s still a long way for us to be on top and we still have to keep on winning,” said Cebu FC head coach Mehmet Kakil. “First time for us to open our doors to Cebu. We’re happy to give back to Cebu. It’s not only about us but giving back to Cebu. It really feels good and is a motivation for all of us.”

Cebu FC moved up to the top of the table with 20 points, followed by United City FC with 19 points. Kaya FC dropped to third with 18 points, while Stallion Laguna FC is fourth with 15 points.

“Today I scored two goals, but my mentality is always more than scoring and helping my team and my teammates to bring out their best. I didn’t win alone but I won with my teammates in the field. I’m happy that each and everyone played their best. I scored two goals today because of them,” said Altinoz, who was named “Man of the Match.” “For me it’s important to have your fans, your family, your supports always being there because it always gives you extra motivation. Playing in Manila, we didn’t have this amount of people so it’s really nice and it gave us the extra motivation as you can see with our performance today, we were able to give it our best we were able to get that victory. It’s not just the team but also the people that supported as from the stands.”

Cebu FC will play another home match next weekend against defending champion United City FC in another very important match. / EKA