At the start of the 2016 season, Loyola coach Simon McMenemy reflected on how his team had closed the gap on former champions Global FC and how they were now trying to reduce a similar gulf in class behind champions Ceres La Salle FC.

What he didn't bank on, at the time, was the resurgence of Kaya FC.

Buoyed by their UFL Cup victory last year and their excellent performance so far in the 2016 AFC Cup, Kaya have won over fans with their youthful and resilient play.

Their UFL Cup quarterfinal victory over rivals Loyola is a case in point.

Down 1-0 and the momentum all with Loyola, Kaya played true to form as they came back to win the game with a 90th minute goal from striker Robert Lopez Mendy.

While Kaya would eventually fall short to Ceres in the semifinals, the manner of that defeat -- three times they came back to level and forced penalties while down to 10 men -- won even more admiration from the cheering fans.

Head coach Chris Greatwich, a battling midfielder in his time, has truly molded Kaya FC in his own image.

"It's a marriage. They're the same. It's just a club, I just happen to mirror it," he once declared.

The superb OJ Porteria and the dynamic Miguel Tanton carried Kaya on their back and their youthful energy bodes well for the future of the club and, indeed, for the Azkals.

Ceres go into the final on April 16 against a Global side looking determined to regain old glory.

It will be Global's first cup final since 2012. And, after watching Kaya and Ceres bask in the public's adulation internationally, they are extremely keen to win the UFL Cup and qualify for, at the very least, a playoff spot in the AFC Cup.

Motivation has been a recurring theme for all teams in this year's UFL Cup. For Global coach Leigh Manson, securing a place early in the AFC Cup is a big incentive.

"Let's win the UFL Cup, get in the AFC Cup early and then you take a little bit of pressure off yourself in the league because you're already in the AFC Cup," he told ESPN FC.

As for the once-mighty Ceres, they are slight underdogs going to the final, with injuries to several key players, including Paul Mulders and Kevin Ingreso.

An incredibly appalling display at the back by Ceres against Kaya -- errors from the backline gifted Kaya goals -- will be cause for concern. Coach Ali Go will be keen to address these issues, especially with Jermaine Pennant's Tampines Rovers visiting Bacolod on Tuesday.

For Kaya, the quest for a return to the 2017 AFC Cup has been narrowed down to two paths: winning the UFL League or lifting the AFC Cup itself.

Two options that, at the start of the year, seemed highly improbable.

But as their battling performances of late have showed: you can never truly count Kaya out until the final whistle.

Kaya resume AFC Cup action when they travel to Singapore to face Balestier Khalsa, while Ceres are at home to Tampines Rovers.

Source:
courtesy of ESPNFC

by Ryan Fenix

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