Piala FA: Selangor FC Comeback Taming Over Kuching City

Selangor FC orchestrated a spirited comeback to defeat Kuching City FC 2-1 in their first-leg FA Cup semi-final clash, courtesy of a crucial brace from Eduardo Sosa.

The high-stakes encounter served as more than just a battle for a first-leg advantage; it presented the perfect opportunity for the Red Giants to exact revenge following their bitter elimination by the same opponents in last season's Malaysia Cup.

Kuching City, fielding an attacking trio of Safawi Rasid, Jerome Mpacko Etame, and Ramadhan Saifullah Usman, drew first blood early on. In the ninth minute, national winger Ramadhan embarked on a brilliant solo run, easily beating Selangor goalkeeper Sikh Izhan Nazrel to put the visitors ahead.

However, the away side's joy was short-lived. Just 10 minutes later, former Star City FC midfielder Sosa sent the home crowd into a frenzy, finding the back of the net to level the score. Both teams pushed for a go-ahead goal before the break, but the score remained deadlocked at 1-1 heading into the dressing room.

The Red Giants ramped up the intensity in the second half, and Sosa quickly proved to be a major thorn in Kuching City's side. In the 58th minute, he clinically finished off a well-timed pass from Chrigor Moraes, beating national goalkeeper Haziq Nadzli to complete the turnaround. Shortly after his heroics, Sosa was substituted for Kay Tejan after complaining of hamstring discomfort.

Kuching City relentlessly hunted for an equalizer in the dying minutes of the game. Substitute Dylan Wenzel-Halls nearly leveled the scoreline in the 88th minute, but the former Penang FC striker’s dangerous attempt was spectacularly denied by Sikh Izhan.

Selangor successfully protected their narrow one-goal cushion until the final whistle. The two sides are now set to lock horns once again in the decisive second leg in Kuching on November 8.

Credit Photo : SFC