KUCHING: 5,000 supporters will be cheering Kuching FA in the first leg of their FA Cup 2019 campaign against Armed Forces at Stadium Negeri here at 3.30 pm today.
It is expected that the number of people turning up to watch the match may go up this afternoon as admission is free.
Kuching Division Football Association (KDFA) President Fazzrudin Abdul Rahman who is also a team manager said the bigger the home crowd the better it is for the morale of the players.
“Not only are we playing at home, but also admission is free… so I hope all our supporters will be there,” he said.
“On paper, the home match is in the favour of Kuching FA and this is an opportunity we must grab to score a convincing win over our opponents,” he said.
The Kuching FA will be spearheaded by a former national player Joseph Kallang Tie.
Joseph’s vast experience in playing for and against Terengganu, Pahang and Selangor is great asset to the team he is leading, Fazzrudin said.
“The match has to be held early (3.30pm) as it is likely to end in extra time or penalty kicks,” he said.
According to Fazzrudin, the combination of new and old players has shown compatibility after two months of intensive training.
He said the current Kuching FA team is more solid than that of the last season as it has 10 former state players, including strong centre-back Hairol Mokhtar and fast-paced right-back Dzulazlan Ibrahim.
An imported star from Japan, Yuta Suzuki, 28, is also in the team to strengthen its midfield.
According to Fazzarudin, the target for his team in the FA Cup campaign is to finish in the last eight.
Historically, club-status teams have never won the FA Cup. They have made it to the finals but lost.
For example, Felda United lost 2-1 to Pahang in 2014, while PKNS were outplayed 2-1 by JDTin 2016.
