ExFunCity Sport News | Kuching City Lose ACL2 Debut to Phnom Penh Crown

The Kuching City ACL2 campaign began with late heartbreak after the Malaysian club suffered a 2-1 defeat against Cambodia’s Phnom Penh Crown in their AFC Champions League Two 2026/27 Group H opener. A stoppage-time goal from Moses Dyer denied Kuching City a point in their first-ever Asian continental appearance.

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Kuching City travelled to the Morodok Techo National Stadium hoping to mark their continental debut with a positive result.

The first half ended goalless before Phnom Penh Crown broke the deadlock in the 55th minute through Dyer.

Kuching City responded in the 73rd minute when substitute Ajdin Mujagic found the equaliser, putting the Malaysian side back in contention.

For a moment, the match appeared set to finish 1-1.

Stoppage-Time Goal Breaks Kuching Hearts

The biggest moment arrived in added time.

Dyer struck again to score his second goal of the match, securing a dramatic 2-1 victory for Phnom Penh Crown and ending Kuching City’s hopes of taking a point home from Cambodia.

The defeat made it a difficult opening night for the Kuching City ACL2 campaign, but the performance also showed that the Malaysian club could compete in its first appearance at this level.

Kuching City qualified for the competition after finishing runners-up in the 2025/26 Malaysia Super League.

Current Group H Situation

Kuching City have been drawn in Group H alongside:

• Phnom Penh Crown of Cambodia
• Kitchee SC of Hong Kong
• Gangwon FC of South Korea

That gives the Malaysian side several challenging matches ahead as they attempt to recover from their opening defeat.

Every point could become important in a group featuring clubs with significantly more experience in Asian competitions.

What Malaysian Fans Are Talking About

The stoppage-time defeat has become the biggest talking point from Kuching City’s historic continental debut.

Malaysian supporters saw the team recover after falling behind and remain in the match until the final moments, only for Dyer’s second goal to change everything.

There is also strong interest in how Kuching City will respond after experiencing the intensity of Asian club football for the first time.

What Comes Next

The next Kuching City ACL2 fixture will be against Hong Kong side Kitchee SC on October 15 at Larkin Stadium in Johor Bahru.

A positive result in that match would give Kuching City an opportunity to get their Group H campaign back on track before tougher fixtures later in the competition.

Despite the disappointing start, their debut in the AFC Champions League Two remains a significant milestone for the Sarawak club.

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