KUALA LUMPUR: Can Kuching City stand up to the mighty Johor Darul Ta’zim (JDT) at the National Stadium in Bukit Jalil tonight and complete their fairy-tale run in the Malaysia Cup?
Whatever the outcome, the Cats have already made history in the prestigious competition this year by reaching their first-ever final since the club’s formation in 2016. But that won’t be enough for their captain James Okwuosa.
The experienced Nigerian centreback is determined to inspire the Sarawak side to glory by upsetting defending champions JDT.
“We want to win. When you win, you create history and people remember it,” said the 35-year-old Okwuosa, who joined the club in 2024.
“We have 90 minutes or more to fight for a win, and we won’t stop till the final whistle.’’
Kuching City had already defied huge odds after they stunned 33-time champions Selangor 2-1 on aggregate in the semi-finals.
They, however, face a more daunting task against a JDT side packed with attacking firepower, including prolific forwards Bergson Da Silva and Jairo Da Silva while winger Arif Aiman Hanapi could also make a comeback despite recent injury concerns.
But Okwuosa insists Kuching’s focus remains firmly on themselves rather than individual stars.
“Yuki (Tanigawa), Rodney (Celvin Akwensivie) and I have spoken about building a strong defensive core together.
“There is great understanding among us, and we are prepared to deal with any striker, not only Bergson.”
On the other side, Bergson is no stranger to delivering on the big stage.
The Brazilian striker has scored three goals across the last four Malaysia Cup finals and remains one of JDT’s biggest attacking threats.
Yet the lethal forward said personal statistics are secondary to the responsibility of wearing the Southern Tigers jersey.
“If my teammates had not helped me, I would not have stayed here for more than five years,” said the 35-year-old
“I have scored three goals in the last four finals, but you never know when your next final will come. What matters is tomorrow because the opportunity to win is in our hands.
“Whether it is 1-0 or 10-0, we want to bring the title home. That desire is what pushes us to become a better team.”
Bergson also recalled JDT’s painful 2-0 defeat to Kuala Lumpur City in the 2021 Malaysia Cup final, a loss he believes transformed the club’s mentality.
“We promised ourselves that we would never lose like that again.
“Now we have an identity, and we want to show it.
‘‘Since 2021, we have not lost the Malaysia Cup again. We learned from that experience and kept moving forward.”
