PETALING JAYA: Kuching City are eager to make a bigger roar on the Asian stage, but they will need to sharpen their claws to make their presence felt.
Coach Aidil Sharin admits they must be efficient in attack and find ways to cope with a punishing schedule to achieve their goal.
The Sarawak side were held 1-1 by Hong Kong club Kitchee in their second Group H match of the AFC Champions League (ACL) Two at the State Stadium in Kuching on Thursday.
Aidil felt his side deserved to win based on the chances they created, but offered a straightforward verdict.
“I don’t want to disrespect the opposition, but those who watched the game could see how many chances we created and how much pressure we put on them,” said the Singaporean.
“However, if you do not score, you do not win games.”
The hosts enjoyed a dream start when Kitchee goalkeeper Pong Cheuk-Hei failed to control a pass from leftback Callum Beattie, and the ball squirmed past his feet into the empty net for an own goal.
Kitchee responded by raising their tempo and levelled in the 14th minute when Hong Kong international and naturalised Brazilian winger Everton Camargo unleashed a superb left-footed shot from the edge of the area to beat Kuching goalkeeper Haziq Nadzli.
In the second half, Kuching brought on Ryan Lambert for Japanese midfielder Kaishu Yamazaki to shore up the midfield, and the home side enjoyed better spells.
However, Australian winger Dylan Wenzel-Halls, Brazilian centreback Gabriel Peres, Bosnian striker Ajdin Mujagic and Namibian midfielder Petrus Shitembi all failed to convert good opportunities.
“It is not just about improving our defending. We also need to be sharper in attack,” said Aidil.
“Hopefully, as we keep progressing, every player will learn and improve. I can see that our performances are getting better and better. I think we deserved to win this game,” said Aidil.
He also pointed to the demands on a squad operating with modest resources.
“There are many factors involved, and there is a lot we could discuss. But we must not forget that we are not the richest club.
“We need a good recovery system to help the players stay sharp because they are human beings, not machines that can simply be refuelled and expected to operate at full speed.
“For example, we play Brunei in the Super League tomorrow. We can only recover today before flying for the match in Bandar Seri Begawan, so there is no time to train properly.
Kuching are third in Group H with one point, while Kitchee are second with two. Cambodian club Phnom Penh Crown lead the group with six points after beating South Korean side Gangwon in the earlier fixture.
