KUCHING: It was a dream start for Gabriel Palmero, whose debut goal added sparkle to Kuching City FC’s memorable march into the Malaysia Cup semi-finals.
The forward made an immediate impact as the Cats completed a commanding 6-2 aggregate victory over DPMM FC in front of more than 10,000 supporters at the Sarawak State Stadium last night.
Kuching City started brightly but initially struggled to convert their chances despite controlling possession.
The breakthrough came in the 28th minute when Petrus Shitembi slipped a precise through pass to Ronald Ngah Wanja, who headed home to ignite the crowd.
Just before half-time, captain James Okwuosa doubled the advantage to put the hosts firmly in control, while goalkeeper Haziq Nadzli produced a crucial save moments later to deny the visitors.
After the restart, DPMM briefly threatened a comeback through a long-range strike from Muhammad Hakeme Yazid Said, but Kuching City quickly regained momentum.
Palmero then marked his debut in style in the 70th minute, calmly finishing to restore breathing space and further energise the home supporters.
Late drama followed when Jerome Mpacko Etame appeared to have added another goal in the 86th minute, only for VAR to rule it out after review.
Kuching City’s solid defence and finishing secured a historic place in the semi-finals, where they will face Selangor FC, who beat Negeri Sembilan FC 6-1 on aggregate.
