Kuching City FC are through to their first-ever Malaysia FA Cup final after a 2-0 extra-time win over Selangor FC at Taha Ariffin Stadium on Sunday, 8 November, sealing a 3-2 aggregate victory. The result sends a Sarawak side back to the FA Cup final for the first time in 25 years, and sets up a Kuching City FA Cup final against Johor Darul Ta’zim (JDT) in January.
For a club that only reached the top flight in 2023, it is another milestone in a remarkable climb, and a proud moment for football fans across Sarawak, a state that is also lining up new tourism experiences for 2027.
Five proud moments behind Kuching City’s historic run
1. A comeback in front of their own fans
Kuching City went into the second leg trailing 2-1 from the first meeting. According to Bernama, Muhammad Safawi Rasid levelled the tie from the penalty spot in the second half, taking the match into extra time. With the semi-final heading towards its closing minutes, a Selangor own goal settled it and sent the home crowd into celebration.
The Cats did it the hard way. Utusan Sarawak reported that head coach Aidil Sharin Sahak was without around seven key players through injury, and that the squad had only about 48 hours to recover before the match.
2. Ending a 25-year wait for Sarawak
The last Sarawak side to reach the FA Cup final was Sarawak FA in 2001, when they lost 1-0 to Selangor at Bukit Jalil National Stadium, Utusan Sarawak noted. That gives Sunday’s win over the same opponents a special place in the state’s football story, and a new generation of supporters a final to look forward to.
3. From district side to the Super League
The club began life in 2015 as Kuching FA, set up to represent the Kuching district in the People’s Football League, before taking the Kuching City name in 2021. After working their way up through the lower divisions, a third-place finish in the 2022 Premier League earned promotion, and the club made their Malaysia Super League debut in 2023.
Under Aidil Sharin, who was appointed in August 2023, progress has been steady: from 13th in their first top-flight season to fourth in 2024-25.
4. A breakthrough season that changed expectations
The 2025-26 campaign was the club’s best yet. Kuching City finished as Super League runners-up, earning a place in the AFC Champions League Two, their first continental competition. They also reached their first Malaysia Cup final, losing 2-0 to JDT at Bukit Jalil in May, a run Dayakdaily described as one of historic milestones for the club.
This Kuching City FA Cup final appearance means the club have now reached two national cup finals in the space of a year, a sign that their recent success is no one-off.
5. A team-first spirit and a stadium full of support
Speaking after the semi-final, Aidil Sharin credited the collective effort. “I trust all my players and tonight they proved that they wanted to be in the final,” he said, as reported by the Sarawak Tribune. “At Kuching City, there is no star and no individual. It is all about the team.”
He also thanked the supporters, more than 15,000 of whom attended the second leg: “I want to thank all the fans who filled the stadium with white and green.”
What to know about the Kuching City FA Cup final
- Opponents: Johor Darul Ta’zim, five-time winners of the competition, who beat DPMM FC 8-1 on aggregate in the other semi-final.
- Date: Saturday, 16 January 2027.
- Venue: Sultan Ibrahim Stadium, Iskandar Puteri, Johor.
- At stake: Kuching City’s first major national trophy.
The Kuching City FA Cup final also offers a chance for a rematch of May’s Malaysia Cup final, and Kuching City will travel south knowing they have already beaten some of the league’s strongest sides to get there. Whatever the result, the run has given Sarawak football one of its proudest seasons in a generation.
For official fixtures, results and competition updates, visit the Malaysian Football League website.
