Cats look to learn from Phnom Penh setback

KUCHING: Kuching City FC will look to take the lessons from their 2-1 defeat to Phnom Penh Crown rather than dwell on the result, with head coach Aidil Sharin Sahak calling on the team to improve from the setback.

The Cats came within touching distance of a point in their AFC Champions League Two (ACL2) Group H opener at Morodok Techo National Stadium in Cambodia on Thursday (Sept 17), only for Moses Dyer to have the final say deep into stoppage time.

For Aidil, however, the late defeat was less about finding excuses and more about what the Cats could do better.

“There’s no need to give any excuse when we lose because both teams are playing on the same pitch and in the same weather,” he said.

Aidil pointed to the bigger picture, with the Cats still having plenty of football ahead of them in their first continental campaign.

“The competition is still long. We also have a home game against them, so definitely we want to get better. This is only the first game and we shouldn’t be down because of the loss,” he told a post-match press conference.

The Cats trailed 1-0 after Dyer opened the scoring in the 55th minute, but showed their ability to respond as Adjin Mujagic restored parity in the 73rd minute.

It was a much-improved response after a first half in which Kuching City struggled to keep possession and find their rhythm.

“In the first half, we didn’t play very well. We didn’t keep the ball a lot and lost possession unnecessarily. The boys were a little bit fatigued and slow,” Aidil said.

The changes made after the hosts took the lead helped the Cats settle into the contest, with the equaliser offering a glimpse of a possible comeback.

“Minute by minute they got better. We made some tactical changes and the boys did well to make it 1-1,” he said.

But just when a point appeared within reach, a late corner changed the mood of the night as Dyer struck again to give Phnom Penh Crown all three points.

Despite the result, Aidil praised the effort shown by his players on a night that marked Kuching City’s first appearance on the continental stage.

“My boys did everything they could and gave everything tonight. We were just unlucky not to get the maximum points,” he said.

The Cats now have little time to dwell on the defeat, with attention turning to Kitchee SC in their next Group H outing.

The Hong Kong side opened their campaign with a 0-0 draw against South Korea’s Gangwon FC, while Kuching City will face Kitchee on Oct 15 at Larkin Stadium in Johor Bahru.