KUCHING: The Sarawak Premier League 2026 (SPL 2026) campaign returns to colour Sarawak’s football scene, with the tournament set to kick off on August 15.
A total of 14 teams will compete for the championship title in the second edition of the prestigious tournament organised by the Football Association of Sarawak (FAS).
Tournament committee chairman, Sophie Shariee, said the 14 participating teams have been divided into two groups.
The Southern Zone will feature seven teams comprising Kuching, Samarahan, Serian, Sri Aman, Betong, PDRM and ATM.
Meanwhile, another seven teams – Sarikei, Sibu, Kapit, Mukah, Bintulu, Miri and Limbang – will compete in the Northern Zone.
“Yesterday, the team managers’ meeting was held, which was also attended by representatives from all participating teams,” Sophie told Sarawak Tribune.
He said SPL 2026 will feature a slight change to the match format at the zonal stage.
“The format this time is slightly different as only half of the matches will be played on a home-and-away basis.
“In other words, each team will play three matches at home and three matches away,” Sophie added.
Unlike the quarter-final and semi-final stages, the original home-and-away format will remain in place.
“The same applies to the battle for the Sarawak Premier Cup 2026 title, where the home-and-away format will also be retained,” he said.
Sophie stressed that the tournament is expected to conclude either on November 7 or November 14.
