Sydney FC kicks Kaya booters out

MANILA, Philippines — Sydney FC dashed Kaya FC-Iloilo’s dreams of making a second straight appearance in the AFC Champions League main tournament with a comprehensive 5-0 romp in the Preliminary Round Playoff last Tuesday at the Netstrata Jubilee Stadium in Sydney.

Amid strong winds and torrential rain, the A-League powerhouse went on a four-goal rampage in the second half to put the game beyond Kaya’s reach after holding a slim 1-nil advantage in the first 45 minutes.

Sydney advanced to the ACL group stage with two-time winner Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors of Korea, Yokohama F Marinos of Japan and Hoang Anh Gia of host Vietnam in Group H. 

With the loss, Kaya shifts its focus to the AFC Cup, the second-tier club competition in the continent, where it joins Indonesia’s Bali United, Malaysia’s Kedah Darul Aman and Cambodia’s Visakha FC in Group G.