KUCHING: Johor Darul Ta’zim (JDT) head coach, Munoz Llompart Francisco Javier, admitted that his team had to work hard to overcome Kuching City FC in the first leg of the 2025 Malaysia FA Cup semi-final.
He acknowledged this after seeing the resilience of the Kuching team, which only conceded their first goal 36 minutes into the first half.
“We only scored in the 36th minute, and to me, that was quite late. I think they (Kuching City) are the second strongest team behind us in the league. They have their own strengths and are difficult to beat,” he told a post-match press conference.
JDT narrowly won 2-1 against Kuching City in the first leg of the 2025 FA Cup semi-final held at the Sarawak State Stadium in Petra Jaya on Sunday night.
The Spaniard said Kuching possess unique strengths and is especially tough to play against on their home turf.
“They use a lot of long passes, try to play more forward, and press high with the ball. Not just today, I think they always play in the same style – with high intensity, strong in ball contests whether attacking or defending. It is indeed tough to play against them.
“You know other teams often drop points when playing here. So, this (win) is very positive for us,” he said.
He added that playing in Kuching is certainly a tense moment for any visiting team facing Kuching City at the Sarawak State Stadium.
