KUCHING: Head coach Aidil Sharin Sahak welcomed Kuching City FC’s 4-0 victory against Immigration FC but stressed there is still room for improvement, particularly in maintaining possession and intensity from the start.
The win, witnessed by more than 4,000 fans at the Sarawak State Stadium on Sunday (Sept 28), was built on clinical finishing and strong teamwork, with goals from Ramadhan Saifullah, Ahmad Danial Ahmad Asri (two), and Petrus Shitembi.
The breakthrough came in the 29th minute when Danial Amier played a pass to the left wing for Scott Woods. Cutting inside, Woods slipped the ball to Ronald Ngah Wanja, who shielded his marker before feeding Ramadhan.
The winger blasted home at the top right corner to give Kuching City the lead.
After the restart, Ramadhan turned provider in the 48th minute. Driving down the left, he squared to Wanja, whose strength once again held off the Immigration defence before setting up Ahmad Danial to slot a low shot into the bottom corner.
The third goal arrived in the 64th minute from a clever Petrus Shitembi free-kick. His quick effort surprised the Immigration wall, and though Ahmad Danial’s initial chase saw the ball ricochet off the goalkeeper, the forward reacted fastest to tuck away the rebound for his second of the match.
Kuching City sealed the victory in style in the 75th minute. Substitute Jordan Mintah swung in a cross from midfield, collected by Ramadhan who took it to the byline.
His cutback was cleverly dummied by Wanja, allowing Shitembi to tap in for the fourth.
While pleased with the result and another clean sheet, Aidil admitted his side started too slowly.
“In the first half we were very slow. We lost the ball a lot unnecessarily. The tempo only changed in the second half,” he said in his post-match press conference.
He praised the players’ persistence and highlighted the importance of key contributions on both ends of the pitch.
“Ramadhan and Ahmad Danial keep scoring goals, and at the back Haziq Nadzli, James Okwuosa, and Yuki Tanigawa kept another clean sheet. Collectively, I’m pleased with the boys’ performance.”
The coach also noted that winger Joao Pedro remains “50-50” as he recovers from injury but was encouraged by the squad’s overall momentum.
He welcomed the improved pitch conditions following rain, which softened the surface after earlier concerns about hardness.
Aidil, however, underlined that Kuching City cannot afford slow starts if they hope to sustain their form.
“This is where in training we need to rectify and show videos of what we are lacking. My job is to educate them and make them improve for the next game,” he said.
