KUCHING: They may not have won the scoreboard battle, but Kuching City FC earned respect under the Sarawak State Stadium lights last night (Apr 16), standing tall in a 2-0 defeat to league giants Johor Darul Ta’zim.
The Southern Tigers, clad in their iconic blue and red, were awarded a penalty early on after Arif Aiman was brought down by Kuching’s Arif Fadzilah.
Johor’s forward Bergson Da Silva made no mistake from the spot, giving his side the lead in the 5th minute.
They doubled their advantage in the 26th minute after a defensive lapse by Kuching City. A cross from Juan Muniz Gallego caused chaos in the box, allowing Romel Morales to tap the ball home with ease.
Struggling to find their rhythm against the well-drilled Johor side, the Cats made a tactical change with Zahrul Nizwan replacing Rodney Celvin in hopes of turning the tide.
The second half saw a more spirited display from the hosts. Nur Shamie Iszuan came close, but his shot was denied by Johor keeper Ahmad Syihan in one of the game’s standout saves.
While the match wasn’t a high-octane thriller, it was a compelling battle of tactical and technical quality, with both sides showing discipline and intent.
Morales nearly added a third for Johor, heading the ball into the net — only for VAR to rule it out after Heberty Fernandes was adjudged to have handled the ball while tackling Jimmy Raymond in the build-up.
Petrus Shitembi, one of Kuching’s standout performers, impressed with his twists, turns, and vision in midfield.
He lofted a beautiful through ball to Zahrul Nizwan, who squared it to Shamie — but once again, Syihan stood tall to preserve Johor’s clean sheet.
The Cats will now travel to the Tuanku Abdul Rahman Stadium to face Negeri Sembilan in their final Malaysia Super League match of the season on Sunday (Apr 20) at 9 pm.
Kuching City currently sit fourth in the standings, while the Deer are 12th.
