JDT is not unbeatable, says Kuching City coach
Kuching City were not travelling to the final merely to make up the numbers but to compete and give their supporters from Sarawak a performance to be proud of.
KUALA LUMPUR - Kuching City FC head coach Aidil Sharin Sahak believes Johor Darul Ta’zim (JDT) are not unbeatable and says his side have every reason to believe they can challenge the Southern Tigers in the 2025-2026 Malaysia Cup final at the National Stadium in Bukit Jalil here tomorrow night.
He said Kuala Lumpur City FC’s 2-0 victory over JDT in the 2021 Malaysia Cup final at the same venue had shown that even the country’s dominant side could be overcome on the big stage, adding that belief and hard work would be crucial for his players.
According to him, Kuching City were not travelling to the final merely to make up the numbers but to compete and give their supporters from Sarawak a performance to be proud of.
"The example is already there. Football is all about belief and hard work. Like I said, we cannot control the result, but we are not coming here just to participate.
"We are here to give our best and we do not want to disappoint the Sarawak fans who travelled all the way here just to watch a bad game...we have to push ourselves to the maximum and give our very best,” he told the pre-match press conference here today.
Meanwhile, captain James Okwuosa said anything could happen in 90 minutes and stressed that Kuching City’s focus was on creating a historic victory rather than merely reaching the final.
"When you win, you create history and people remember you for it. Like the coach said, we are not coming here just to make up the numbers, we’re here to compete and show the difference. As long as it is 90 minutes, anybody can be defeated,” said the Nigerian centre-back.
He said Kuching City are focusing more on their overall performance rather than putting excessive attention on stopping JDT’s attacking players.
"We cannot just talk about Bergson (da Silva) alone as once you qualify for the AFC (Asian Football Confederation) competitions, you will face even more quality strikers like him. If you focus too much on certain players, then you can lose because football has many competitors with different skills and abilities,” said the 35-year-old player.
JDT are chasing their sixth Malaysia Cup title after winning the competition in 2017, 2019, 2022, 2023 and the 2024/2025 season, while Kuching City have the opportunity to create history by lifting the trophy for the first time.
Tomorrow’s match will be officiated by four high-profile match officials from Qatar as part of the Malaysian Football League’s effort to ensure officiating standards are at the highest level, in line with the reputation of Malaysia’s oldest and most prestigious football competition. - BERNAMA
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