BINTULU: Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg has expressed hope that Kuching City FC (KCFC) can pull off a major upset against Johor Darul Ta’zim FC (JDT) in tonight’s Malaysia Cup final.
“Hopefully, we can win against Johor. At the very least, we will become runners-up, but if possible, I hope we can become champions – that is even better,” he said during the ‘Makan Malam Bersama Pemimpin Masyarakat’ event at Hotel Imperial Bintulu on Friday night (May 22).
Abang Johari said Sarawakians should continue supporting the team following its impressive run this season.
He described the club’s progress as a reflection of Sarawak’s growing development and ambition on the national and regional stage.
“Kuching City is our Sarawak team that defeated Selangor and we have now become a team capable of competing at the Asian level. Imagine – yesterday we were only playing in kampung, now we are competing at a higher level,” he said.
He also praised KCFC’s achievement after finishing second in the 2025-2026 Super League season with 53 points, securing qualification for next year’s Asian Champions League Two (ACL2).
Kuching City’s strong performance this season has drawn widespread attention among Sarawak football fans, with many viewing the club’s rise as one of the state’s biggest sporting achievements in recent years.
Also present during the event were Deputy Premiers Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas, Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hasan and Datuk Amar Dr Sim Kui Hian, Sarawak Legislative Assembly (DUN) Speaker Datuk Amar Tan Sri Mohamad Asfia Awang Nassar and State Secretary Datuk Amar Mohamad Abu Bakar Marzuki.
