Piala FA: Heartbreak for Selangor as Kuching City Snatch Finalist

Kuching City FC pulled off an absolute masterclass in resilience on Sunday night, crushing Selangor FC's Piala FA Malaysia ambitions during a chaotic semi-final second leg at Stadium Taha Ariffin, Kuching.

Trailing 2-1 from the first leg, head coach Aidil Sharin Sahak’s men knew exactly what was required to overturn the deficit on home soil, and they delivered in the most dramatic fashion possible.

Selangor boss Kim Pan-gon initially set up his Red Giants to absorb the heavy early pressure, and his tactical blockade successfully frustrated The Cats throughout the opening half. However, the massive turning point arrived in the 57th minute. Following a VAR review that caught Harith Haiqal Adam Afkar bringing down Jerome Mpacko Etame inside the penalty area, Safawi Rasid stepped up to the spot. The lethal winger clinically converted the penalty, leveling the aggregate score at 2-2 and throwing the home crowd into an absolute frenzy.

With the aggregate deadlocked, a grueling 90 minutes wasn't enough to separate the two heavyweights, forcing the tie into 30 minutes of extra time. Just as the match looked destined for a tense penalty shootout, absolute disaster struck for Selangor in the 118th minute. A cruel sequence of events in the box saw Mukhairi Ajmal turn the ball into his own net, handing Kuching City the decisive goal.

The dying moments of the match descended into pure chaos as Selangor's frustrations completely boiled over. A late brawl erupted on the pitch, resulting in straight red cards for Selangor player Eduardo Sosa and fitness coach Joel Dones.

But for Kuching City, the final whistle brought pure euphoria. The monumental victory not only secured their ticket to the grand final but officially ended a 25-year wait for a team from Sarawak to reach the prestigious tournament's climax.

Credit Photo : SFC