# Kuching City F.C.

Kuching City Football Club, simply known as Kuching City, is a professional football club based in Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia that plays in the Malaysia Super League. It is also the youngest club to join the highest level of the Malaysian football league system, having been founded in 2015. It is the third professional football club based in the state of Sarawak.

## History

In 2015, with the commencement of the People's Football League introduced by the Football Association of Malaysia, the purpose of the league was to transform lower leagues in Malaysia and promote amateur football in all districts and states across Malaysia. Consequently, Kuching F.A. was founded alongside it to represent the district of Kuching in Sarawak.

### FAM Cup

In the 2015–16 Liga Bolasepak Rakyat, Kuching won the inaugural edition after beating Padang Besar 3–1 at the Selayang Stadium. With the championship, Kuching got an automatic promotion into the 2017 Piala FAM.
In their first season in FAM League, Kuching achieved 4th place in Group B, qualifying the team for the play-offs. They were knocked out in the quarter-final stage by UKM F.C., which later gained promotion to 2018 Malaysia Premier League as finalist of the play-offs. Kuching's second season in the FAM League saw them in the 4th place in Group A, the same as previous season. Unfortunately, changes in the play-off qualifying saw them miss out on the knock-out stage as only top two teams of each group chosen. Kuching were registered to play in the 2019 Malaysia FAM Cup, but were also invited by FAM to play in the 2019 Malaysia Premier League, as a number of teams pull out from the league.
After announcing their promotion to the 2020 Malaysia Premier League, Kuching changed their kit to a new one to kick start their new journey, the colours are green with white stripes and "City of Unity" is written in the middle of the kit. The following season, they added ''City'' to back of Kuching.

### First cup final

Kuching City reach promotion to 2023 Malaysia Super League for the first time in history after the MFL License have been approved for the 2023 season. On 2 August 2023, former Singaporean legend, Aidil Sharin Sahak was announced as the new head coach of the club signing Namibia captain, Petrus Shitembi and Tajikistani midfielder Nuriddin Davronov. Aidil Sharin guided the club to a great run in the 2023 MFL Challenge Cup winning 4–0 on aggregate against his former club, Kedah Darul Aman in the quarter-finals, a 3–1 on aggregate against Kelantan United in the semi-finals which saw the club first ever cup final in their history.

## Crest and colours

Kuching's crest has a yellow shield and the flag of Sarawak where the club originated from, and a green-white stripped tiger. "City of Unity" is written in the middle of the crest.

### Crest

* 2019–2021 crest

## Kit manufacturers and shirt sponsors

| Season | Kit manufacturer | Shirt sponsor |
| 2017–2023 | Starsport | LSC & Kuching City of Unity |
| 2017–2023 | Starsport | LSC, Yakult & Kuching City of Unity |
| 2017–2023 | Starsport | Serba Dinamik, LSC & Yakult |

## Players
### First-team squad

    As of 8 March 2024
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| 1 | GK | MAS | Ahmad Uzair Zaidil |
| 2 | DF | MAS | Jimmy Raymond |
| 3 | DF | MAS | Rodney Celvin |
| 6 | DF | MAS | Arif Fadzilah (on loan from Terengganu) |
| 7 | FW | CIV | Kipré Tchétché |
| 9 | DF | MAS | Adam Shreen |
| 10 | MF | NAM | Petrus Shitembi |
| 11 | FW | MAS | Shamie Iszuan |
| 12 | MF | MAS | Abang Azri |
| 13 | DF | MAS | Dzulazlan Ibrahim |
| 14 | FW | MAS | Amir Amri |
| 17 | MF | MAS | Alauddin Farid |
| 18 | FW | MAS | Zahrul Nizwan |
| 19 | DF | MAS | Arham Khussyairi |
| 20 | GK | MAS | Shaiful Wazizi |
| 21 | MF | MAS | Danial Amier (on loan from Johor Darul Ta'zim) |
| 22 | DF | MAS | Hariz Mansor |
| 23 | FW | MAS | Amirrul Iqmal |
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| 25 | MF | BHR | Moses Atede |
| 27 | DF | MAS | Filemon Anyie |
| 28 | FW | GHA | Jordan Mintah |
| 33 | FW | MAS | Hazwan Bakri |
| 35 | DF | NGA | James Okwuosa |
| 37 | FW | MAS | Ramadhan Saifullah (on loan from Johor Darul Ta'zim) |
| 38 | GK | MAS | Wan Azraie |
| 40 | DF | MAS | Iskandar Shah |
| 41 | DF | MAS | Aiman Joanny |
| 44 | MF | MAS | Alif Hassan (captain) |
| 50 | MF | MAS | Diego Baggio |
| 55 | GK | MAS | Shahril Saa'ri |
| 64 | DF | MAS | Badrul Hisham |
| 71 | FW | MAS | Rahim Razak |
| 77 | DF | JPN | Yuki Tanigawa |
| 88 | FW | MAS | Zharmein Ashraf |
| 91 | MF | BRA | Luis Fernando Welter |

### Other players under contract

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| — | MF | CIV | Dechi Marcel N'Guessan |
| — | MF | MAS | Nor Azizi Ramlee |
| — | FW | MAS | Wan Faiz Sulaiman |

## Development squads
### Kuching City B (U23)

Head coach: Oleg Kuzmianok
    As of 6 April 2024
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| — | GK | MAS | Syafie Mursalim |
| — | GK | MAS | Naim Ramadhan Narawi |
| — | DF | MAS | Abang Haikal Za'afari |
| — | DF | MAS | Haddad Aiman Sufian |
| — | DF | MAS | Fadzly Shauqie Jeffry |
| — | DF | MAS | Mohd Hazazi Harsi |
| — | DF | MAS | Nasharuddin Jaapar Sidik |
| — | DF | MAS | Nur Hasbullah Rahman |
| — | DF | MAS | Josef Charsel Setom |
| — | DF | MAS | Awang Nazmi Shamel |
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| — | DF | MAS | Gabriel Batistuta Durling |
| — | MF | MAS | Faris Mohd Faidillah |
| — | MF | MAS | Adifbadri Ariffin |
| — | MF | MAS | Syahryl Aiman Saidin |
| — | MF | MAS | Mohd Khuzairi Abdullah |
| — | MF | MAS | Azkaharridhi Farhan Hasnan |
| — | FW | MAS | Cornelius Ornley Jina |
| — | FW | MAS | Mohammad Rahiimin Roslan |
| — | FW | MAS | Jeckelly Manir |
| — | FW | MAS | Shane Thomas |

## Season by season record

Updated on 30 November 2024.
| Season | Division | Position | Malaysia Cup | Malaysian FA Cup | Malaysia Challenge Cup | Malaysian Charity Shield | Regional | Top Scorer (All Competitions) |
| 2015–16 | Liga LBR | Champions | DNQ | – | – | – | – | |
| 2017 | FAM League | 4th of 7 Group B | DNQ | – | – | – | – | |
| 2018 | FAM League | 4th of 7 Group A | DNQ | Second round | – | – | – | Shafitri Salim (4) |
| 2019 | Liga M3 | 2nd | DNQ | Second round | – | – | – | Joseph Kalang Tie (18) |
| 2020 | Premier League | 4th | Cancelled | Cancelled | – | – | – | Bryan Jones (4) |
| 2021 | Premier League | 5th | 3rd of 4th Group stage B | Not held | – | – | – | Alif Hassan (6) |
| 2022 | Premier League | 3rd | Quarter-finals | Quarter-finals | – | – | - | Abu Kamara (12) |
| 2023 | Super League | 13th | Round 16 | Second Round | 2nd | – | – | Abu Kamara (16) |
| 2024-25 | Super League | | | Quarter-finals | - | – | – | |

## Foreign players (since 2019)

| Season | Player 1 | Player 2 | Player 3 | Player 4 | Player 5 | Player 6 | Player 7 | Player 8 | Player 9 | Former Player |
| 2019 | Yuta Suzuki | | | | | | | | | |
| 2020 | Hudson Jesus | Bryan Jones Anicézio | Yuta Suzuki | Yuki Tanigawa | | | | | | |
| 2021 | Hudson Jesus | Aylton Alemão | Ijezie Michael | Yuta Suzuki | | | | | | Bryan Jones |
| 2022 | Gabryel | Aylton Alemão | Abu Kamara | Yuki Tanigawa | | | | | | Keanu Marsh-Brown |
| 2023 | Célio Santos | Aylton Alemão | Bruno Dybal | Yuki Tanigawa | Mihailo Jovanović | Abu Kamara | Dechi Marcel | Petrus Shitembi | Pedro Henrique | Sudi Abdallah Julian Schwarzer Michael Ijezie Sirojiddin Kuziev |
| 2024–25 | Yuki Tanigawa | Petrus Shitembi | Jordan Mintah | James Okwuosa | Kipré Tchétché | Nando Walter | Moses Atede | | | Keanu Marsh-Brown Pedro Henrique |

## Club staff

As of 3 April 2024
Team Management (Senior) :
| Role | Person |
| President | vacant |
| Technical director | Wan Jamak Wan Hassan |
| Manager | Irwanshah Mohamad |
| Assistant manager | Ismail Haji Hamdin |
| Head coach | Aidil Sharin Sahak |
| Assistant coach | Firdaus Morshidi |
| Goalkeeping coach | Khairul Azman Mohamed |
| Fitness coach | Mohd Aidil Idham Fadzil Halmi |
| Video analyst | Ahmad Mundir |
| Team doctor | Muhamad Karbela Reza Ramlan |
| Physiotherapist | Mohd Khairul Nizam Suhaimi Ferdinand Lisa |
| Media officer | Darul Imran Azmi |
| Masseur | Mohamed Zawawi Ali Hassan Mohd Shahrizan Sahari |
| Kitman | Mohammad Hysham Adenan Azarul Nazriq |
Team Management (Youth) :
| Manager | Ahmad Zaki Zaidi $^{U23}$ |
| Assistant manager | Awang Azami Awang Idris $^{U23}$ |
| Head coach | Oleg Kuzmianok $^{U23}$ |
| Assistant coach | Joseph Kalang Tie $^{U23}$ Nizam Mahmud $^{U23}$ |
| Goalkeeping coach | Abdul Gani Anuar $^{U23}$ Roslan Madilan |
| Fitness coach | Michael Wong $^{U23}$ |
| Team admin | Roja James $^{U23}$ |
| Media officer | Mohd Adib Marsat $^{U23}$ |
| Physiotherapist | Gary Nyelang $^{U23}$ |
| Masseur | Padil Abet $^{U23}$ |
| Kitman | Saiful Abdullah $^{U23}$ |

## Honours
### League

* Division 3/M3 League
** Promotion Play-offs Winners: 2019
* Liga Bolasepak Rakyat
** Winners: 2015–16

### Cup

* MFL Challenge Cup
** Runner-up (1): 2023