Kuching City eyes swift bounce back against Imigresen FC

KUCHING (Feb 26): Kuching City FC will be aiming for an immediate response when they face Imigresen FC in their next Malaysia Super League (MSL) fixture at the Stadium Tuanku Syed Putra in Perlis this weekend on Sunday (March 1).

The Cats are coming off a stinging 1-0 defeat to Selangor FC at MBPJ Stadium last week (on Feb 22), a result that head coach Aidil Sharin Sahak described as harsh on his side.

Despite the setback, Aidil struck a defiant tone in his post-match assessment, insisting his players did not deserve to leave empty-handed as the former Singapore international also took full responsibility for the defeat, shielding his squad from criticism.

“I felt the players did not deserve the defeat as we produced numerous chances and dictated the tempo of the match. But that is the nature of football and we take the lesson and move forward.

“I am not pointing fingers at anyone. As the head coach, the responsibility rests with me. What matters most is that the players gave their all from the first whistle to the last,” he told a press conference after the match against Selangor last week.

Aidil pointed out that his tactical approach to contain Selangor’s key attacking threats had largely worked, with the contest decided by what he described as a defensive lapse in the closing minutes.

He has since vowed that the response will begin immediately on the training pitch.

Currently fourth in the MSL standings, just two points adrift of third-placed Kuala Lumpur City FC, Kuching City remain firmly in contention for a top-four finish.

Sunday’s encounter against seventh-placed Imigresen presents an opportunity for the Cats to bounce back, and a high-intensity start is expected as Aidil looks to reassert his side’s early-pressure approach.

With a busy schedule ahead, including a Piala Malaysia semi-final clash against Selangor in April, squad management could also come into play.

Aidil has repeatedly stressed that there is no room for comfort, warning his players that competition for places in the starting XI will only intensify.

After the trip to Perlis, Kuching City will return home to face Sabah FC at Stadium Negeri on March 7 before travelling to take on Penang FC on March 14.

Kuching City FC currently occupies a strong 4th position in the MSL standings, holding 31 points from 16 matches.

Despite the narrow 1-0 defeat to Selangor last week, the “Cats” remain one of the most formidable sides in the league, boasting a goal difference of +20 which is the second-best in the division behind leaders JDT.

In contrast, Imigresen FC sits in seventh place with 18 points, having played 16 games and as a side newly promoted from the A1 Semi-Pro League, they have proven to be competitive mid-table contenders, though they have struggled with defensive consistency, conceding 34 goals to date.

While they enter this matchup as the underdogs, having lost 4-0 to Kuching City earlier in the season, they showed grit in their last outing with a 2-1 win over Negeri Sembilan, suggesting they won’t be an easy target for Aidil Sharin’s men this Sunday.