PETALING JAYA: Kuching City have retained core of Sarawakian talent headlined by club stalwart and centreback Rodney Celvin Akwensivie to lead the charge for new M-League season.
The 30-year-old had previously expressed his desire to remain with the Cats following the conclusion of a successful 2025-26 campaign.
Kuching City finished second in the Super League, a finish that earned them berths in the AFC Champions League Two and the Shopee Cup Asean Club Championship.
They also reached the Malaysia Cup final, where they fell 0-2 to JDT.
For Rodney, the new deal is about more than just football. He sees his continued presence at the club as part of a broader mission to drive the sport’s growth in Sarawak.
“It is nice to extend my stay in Kuching and help the club grow stronger after our great season.
“Coach Aidil (Sharin) has unified this squad and we want to build on that.
“We have inspired a lot of youngsters in the state to play the game, and we want to build on this momentum and bring pride to the people of Sarawak.”
Rodney is far from alone in committing his future to the club.
Goalkeeper Haziq Nadzli, winger Ramadhan Saifullah and midfielder Alif Hassan have all been retained, along with striker Gabriel Nistelrooy and midfielder Amir Amri.
Winger Nur Shamie Izsuan Amin also returns to the fold after a loan spell at Penang, while defender Ariff Farhan Isa, goalkeeper Shahril Saari and midfielders Wesley Milkias, Zharmien Asyraf and Diego Baggio round out the retained list.
