Cats eye ‘high-intensity’ friendlies to prepare for international games

Kuching City FC, the local football club, is planning to hold two "high-intensity" friendly matches during the FIFA international window to prepare for a tough series of international fixtures. The club's chairman, Dato Fazzrudin Abdul Rahman, announced this during a press conference at the State Library in Kuching.

Fazzrudin revealed that the club is in talks with teams from Peninsular Malaysia and Borneo for these friendlies. He stated that the team will not play any competitive matches during these two weeks, but will still engage in high-intensity games. These friendlies will also serve as a test for the new matchday arrangements at Stadium Negeri, particularly the assigned seating system required for upcoming AFC Champions League Two (ACL2) and ASEAN Club Championship (Shopee Cup) fixtures.

The stadium had to meet the requirements set by both competitions, which led to the installation of numbered seats following the Government's RM7 million allocation for upgrading works. However, Fazzrudin clarified that they cannot execute the entire scope right now due to time constraints. Therefore, they plan to implement a portion of that allocation first to ensure the stadium is ready for the matches.

A friendly match is scheduled before Kuching City's Shopee Cup encounter against Tampines Rovers on October 7. During this friendly, the club will sell tickets and run stadium operations as if it were an official international fixture, allowing fans and staff to become accustomed to the new system. Further details on the new arrangements, including ticket sales, will be announced soon.