BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN (12 September 2026) – Manila Digger FC confirmed their progress to the Group Stage of the 2026/27 ASEAN Club Championship Shopee Cup™ on Saturday when Saikou Ceesay scored a hat-trick in their 4-1 win over Kasuka FC to complete a 9-2 aggregate win over the side from Brunei Darussalam.
Joan Esteva’s side held a 5-1 lead from the first leg and Cessay put the result beyond any doubt with two goals in the first 11 minutes before completing his hat-trick in the 57th minute.
The win means Manila Digger will play in Group A alongside Thai League 1 sides Buriram United FC and Ratchaburi FC as well as Malaysia’s Kuching City FC, Tampines Rovers FC from Singapore, Vietnam’s Ho Chi Minh City Police FC and Borneo FC Samarinda of Indonesia. Buriram United are two-time Shopee Cup™ winners.
The Philippines Football League champions took control of the second leg in the third minute when Modou Joof teed up Ceesay to open the scoring, delivering a curling cross from the left that the Gambian forward headed in from inside the six-yard box.
Eight minutes later Ceesay doubled the advantage when he was fed by Baboucarr Touray and this time the 26-year-old took one touch to control the ball before slamming a right-foot shot beyond the reach of Jack Landreth.
Kasuka pulled one back a minute prior to the interval when a mistake by Manila Digger goalkeeper Omar Njie gifted possession to Eduardo Brandão and he slotted the ball from distance into the unguarded net.
Twelve minutes into the second half, Ceesay completed his hat-trick in style, thumping a sensational first-time strike from beyond the corner of the penalty area that dipped over Landreth and flew into the net.
Charles Dabao stabbed the ball home following a corner in the 70th minute as Manila Digger secured their progress to the next phase in style.
