Profile of Manila Digger FC, the Philippine champions who will become Persib's opponent in the ACL 2 play-off round.

Jakarta - The name Manila Digger FC may still sound unfamiliar to most Indonesian football supporters. However, this Philippine side is no longer just a surprise underdog. Over recent years, Manila Digger has developed rapidly, and will enter the 2026/2027 AFC Champions League Two (ACL 2) play-off fixture against Persib Bandung as the reigning national champions of the Philippines.

Persib will host Manila Digger at Si Jalak Harupat Stadium, Bandung Regency, on 31 August 2026. This single match will decide which club claims the final ticket to the ACL 2 group stage.

This will not be the first meeting between the two teams. Manila Digger previously faced Persib in the 2025/2026 ACL Two play-off round, where they were defeated 1-2 by Maung Bandung on this same Bandung ground.

But this upcoming clash carries a completely different context. Manila Digger arrives as the 2025/2026 Philippines Football League (PFL) title holders, while Persib have begun a new era under head coach Igor Tolic.

Origins As A Community Club

Manila Digger Football Club was founded in 2018 and is based in Taguig, Metro Manila. The club first grew out of a local football community formed by ethnic Chinese residents working, operating businesses, and studying across the Philippines.

From its very beginning, Manila Digger was never established solely for sporting goals. Football was also positioned as a platform for cultural exchange and strengthening relations within the Chinese-Filipino community.

The club's transformation began when it entered professional competition in 2023 via the Copa Paulino Alcantara tournament. One year later, Manila Digger made its full debut in the top-flight Philippines Football League.

From 7th Place To National Champions

In their debut PFL season in 2024, Manila Digger finished 7th in the standings. Yet the club pulled off a dramatic leap in performance the very next campaign.

For the 2024/2025 PFL season, Manila Digger finished as runners-up, falling just one single point short of eventual champions Kaya FC-Iloilo.

This achievement marked a critical turning point, as it secured Manila Digger's first ever qualification for Asian inter-club competition.

The peak of their rise arrived in the 2025/2026 season. Manila Digger claimed their maiden PFL title after collecting 60 points from 25 matches in the Championship Round phase.

They finished two points clear of second-placed One Taguig FC, who ended the campaign on 58 points.

When they travel to Bandung to face Persib, The Diggers arrive as domestic champions enjoying the most successful period in the club's entire history.

Proven Continental Competition Experience

Manila Digger does not arrive for this fixture without proven pedigree at Asian level. While they did lose 1-2 to Persib in the 2025/2026 ACL Two play-offs, their continental campaign did not end there.

Manila Digger went on to compete in the AFC Challenge League, where they advanced all the way to the East Zone quarter-finals.

They recorded victories over SP Falcons (2-0) and Ezra FC (3-1), before being drawn against Indonesian side Dewa United in the quarter-final stage.

Manila Digger won the first leg 1-0 at Rizal Memorial Stadium, before securing progression with a 2-2 draw in the return fixture.

This track record confirms one clear fact: Persib will face a side already accustomed to high-pressure matches and the elevated competitive standard of Asian level football.

Kim Versales Built The Manila Digger Project

Manila Digger is currently led by head coach Kim Versales, who has been an integral part of the club's journey from a small local community team to one of the new dominant forces in Philippine football.

One defining trait of Manila Digger's squad building strategy is their willingness to recruit large numbers of foreign players.

For the 2026/2027 season, their 28-man squad includes 15 foreign players, accounting for approximately 53.6% of the entire roster. Transfermarkt estimates the total market value of the squad at around 2.87 million Euro.

This approach reflects Manila Digger's clear ambition to boost competitiveness by combining local talent with imported international experience.

Saikouba Ceesay: The Primary Attacking Threat

One player Persib must monitor closely is Saikouba Ceesay. This 26-year-old Gambian centre forward has been with Manila Digger since 2024, and also previously represented the Gambia U-23 national team.

Alongside Ceesay, Manila Digger possesses experienced operators across every position on the pitch.

Michael Asong Has Already Faced Persib

Between the posts, Michael Asong is a highly experienced figure.

Born in Manila on 3 October 1998, Asong joined Manila Digger in January 2025 following spells with other Philippine clubs including Mendiola 1991 and Stallion Laguna.

Asong has also represented the Philippines at U-17, U-19 and U-23 youth international level.

He will be no stranger to the opposition: Asong was the starting goalkeeper for Manila Digger during the two clubs' 2025/2026 ACL Two play-off meeting.

This prior match experience will give the goalkeeper a valuable advantage when he lines up against Maung Bandung once again.

Kenji Nishioka: The Attack Playmaker

Another key player to watch is Kenji Nishioka. This Filipino attacking midfielder already has first-hand experience facing Indonesian clubs.

He scored the winning goal for Manila Digger against Dewa United in the first leg of the 2025/2026 AFC Challenge League quarter-final.

Justin Baas: Dual Filipino-Dutch Midfielder

Manila Digger's squad also features Justin Baas, who holds both Filipino and Dutch citizenship.

Operating as a defensive midfielder, Baas brings professional playing experience and footballing background from European competition systems.

Persib Have Defeated Manila Digger Previously

The first meeting between both sides took place in the 2025/2026 ACL Two play-off round, where Persib secured a 2-1 home victory in Bandung. Manila Digger had temporarily equalised through Modou Joof, before Persib sealed the win via an own goal from the visiting goalkeeper and a strike from Uilliam Barros.

While Persib hold the positive head-to-head record, last season's result cannot be treated as a reliable indicator for this upcoming fixture.

Manila Digger has since evolved into national champions, and now carries far more continental match experience than they did during that first meeting.

Knockout Duel For ACL 2 Group Stage Qualification

The 31 August fixture will be a do-or-die knockout match for both teams.

While Persib have formal home advantage in Bandung, the match will be played behind closed doors as part of an AFC disciplinary sanction.

This means Maung Bandung will not be able to rely on the usual loud home crowd atmosphere that normally supports them at domestic fixtures.

Meanwhile, Manila Digger travel for this match with huge motivation, targeting a historic qualification for the main group stage of Asian competition.

Should Persib secure victory, they will progress to 2026/2027 ACL 2 Group E, alongside South Korea's FC Seoul, Australia's Melbourne Victory, and Vietnam's The Cong-Viettel.

For Manila Digger, victory would represent another historic milestone, following their recent Philippines Football League title triumph.