KUCHING: Kuching City FC will begin their maiden ASEAN Club Championship Shopee Cup campaign at home against Singapore’s Tampines Rovers FC on Oct 7.
The Sarawak side face a challenging group-stage campaign after being drawn alongside clubs from Singapore, Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam in Southeast Asia’s premier club competition.
Tampines Rovers finished runners-up in the Singapore Premier League with 49 points, behind champions Lion City Sailors.
Based on the fixture schedule released by Kuching City FC through its official social media channels, the Cats will play three home matches and three away matches during the group stage.
Their opponents include Indonesia’s Borneo FC Samarinda, Thailand’s Buriram United and Ratchaburi FC, the winner of Playoff 1, and the Vietnam Cup champions.
Following their opener against Tampines Rovers, Kuching City will host Borneo FC Samarinda on Dec 9 before travelling to Vietnam to face the country’s cup champions on Dec 16.
One of the standout fixtures of the campaign comes on Feb 24, 2027, when the Cats welcome Thai giants Buriram United to Kuching.
Kuching City will then travel to face the winner of Playoff 1 on March 3 before concluding their group-stage campaign against Ratchaburi FC in Thailand on March 31.
The Shopee Cup campaign marks another milestone for the Sarawak club following its steady rise in Malaysian football in recent years.
With six group-stage matches ahead, the Cats will be aiming to make their mark against some of Southeast Asia’s leading clubs.
