KUCHING: Malaysia Super League rookie Kuching City FC (KCFC) will not be there in the top flight football of the nation to just fill up the number.
Kuching City FC president Fazzrudin Abdul Rahman said that he would not deny that Super League is a much more challenging league filled with other 13 strong foes, namely the strong favourite and powerhouse Johor Darul Ta’zim FC, but his team will try their best not to just be a passenger this season.
“There was a reformation to the top flight football, Malaysia Super League, near the end of last season.
“However, just like what I have told my players, I would like to reiterate that we were promoted to the Super League on merit but not because of the league being restructured,” Fazzrudin, who is also chief political secretary to the Premier, said this while giving during Kuching City FC 2023 Official Kit Launching Ceremony held at Kuching Waterfront here on Friday night.
Fazzrudin added that as a rookie team that are playing in the top flight football for the very first time in the club’s history, he will not set his sights and targets far too high this season.
“The most important thing is I would like to see the players work hard and show their fighting spirits on the field when they play against their opponents.
“Of course, I have a lofty ambition like achieving top five or top six in our first season and if it is achieved, I believe it is very good enough for a new team like Kuching City to do it in its first season,” he stated.
Revealing Kuching City’s journey to the very top of the nation’s footballing scene, Fazzrudin said they started as just a social club back in 2009 and he was one of the players back then.
“Back then we started this team due to deep interest of mine and my fellow friends back in 2009 where we just played for fun.
“We slowly grew from there to slowly become a serious team and when we found out the inaugural People Football League was introduced by Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) in 2015, we decided to take part in it and eventually we qualified round after round and became the first champion of the tournament,” Fazzrudin explained.
Fazzrudin added that the club had gone through various challenges and difficulties over the years before they made it to the top here in Malaysia Super League and if it was not for the determination of the players, they would not have made it this far, in which he would like to thank them for.
“After our inaugural success, Kuching FA, which was the team’s name before it was rebranded in 2020 as Kuching City FC, did not look back since and then we got into FAM League, later on Malaysia Premier League and now the Super League.
“I would like to thank the players for their endeavours, our Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg, who was the Satok assemblyman then and our Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof, who was and still is Petra Jaya MP, for their support and if it was not for them, we would not have been here today.
“I would also like to thank Lea Sports Centre (LSC) for the support from the very beginning because if it was not for their support and sponsor, we would not have been here either. I am also grateful for the support and sponsor from Agym Nutrition Sdn Bhd, Catapult Sport, Malaysia Airlines, Khaimal Borneo, Kuckreja & Co, Mutiara Technology Centre Sdn Bhd, Capsule Sport Rehab, Grab & Go Burger, Cats FM and Premier Echo Sound & Light System,” Fazzrudin concluded.
Among those present were Youth, Sports and Entrepreneur Development Minister Datuk Seri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah, Satok assemblyman Datuk Ibrahim Baki, Sarawak Football Association (FAS) president Abang Zulkarnain Abang Abdul Rahman and Kuching City FC chief executive officer Iswandy Ali Hassan.
There was also a rare appearance by former Middlesbrough, Fulham, Chelsea, Leicester City and Australia goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer who came to show his support to his son Julian who had just joined the club in early January.
