KUCHING: Kuching City FC once again showed their ability to grind out results, with head coach Aidil Sharin Sahak commending his players’ mental strength in a challenging away fixture.
The Cats returned with three valuable points after edging Immigration FC 1-0 in their Super League clash last night (Mar 1) at Stadium Tuanku Syed Putra, courtesy of a late penalty converted by Ronald Ngah Wanja in the 85th minute.
Reflecting on the performance, Aidil admitted it was far from easy, especially with the match played during the fasting month.
“Alhamdulillah, credit to the players because it’s not easy to come here and play during the fasting month. The boys executed the game plan very well today and, most importantly, we achieved our objective of coming here for three points,” he said.
The Singaporean coach also acknowledged the progress shown by the hosts, who pushed his side all the way.
“Credit to Immigration, they have improved a lot and they gave us a good fight. I wish Yusri Che Lah all the best moving forward,” he told a post-match press conference.
Aidil conceded that his team looked tense in the opening half and struggled to impose their usual rhythm.
“In the first half we were a little tense and didn’t play our normal game. But in the second half, we made some changes to open up the game more.”
The adjustments saw Kuching City utilise greater width while pushing Gabriel Palmero and Jimmy Raymond into more dangerous central positions, a tactical tweak that eventually paid dividends as they created a string of chances.
“We used a lot of width and tried to put Palmero and Jimmy Raymond inside. That’s where I think it worked. We had so many chances, but it was just not our day in front of goal and their goalkeeper did very well,” he said.
Despite the narrow margin, the victory underlined Kuching City’s growing maturity and composure in tight contests, qualities that could prove decisive as the league campaign heads into a crucial phase.
For Aidil, however, the focus remains simple: consistency and collective belief.
The victory lifts Kuching City FC to ten wins for the season. The Cats are fourth with 34 points, holding one game in hand and closing the gap on joint-second Selangor FC and Kuala Lumpur FC, both on 36 points.
