KUCHING — A resilient Kuching FA finally broke their hoodoo against Sabah FA, clinching a vital 1-0 win at Likas Stadium thanks to a late goal from Jordan Mintah in the 75th minute, assisted by a well-timed through ball from Stephen Woods. The match, a tense Malaysia Super League regular season encounter, marked the visitors’ first-ever victory over Sabah and extended Kuching’s impressive run to four successive games unbeaten.

From the outset, the contest was a cagey affair, with both teams displaying a noticeable sense of caution and urgency — Sabah, eager to break a four-match winless run, and Kuching, keen to capitalise on their recent upswing in form. The early exchanges were marked by physicality, exemplified by J. Firdaus Chew’s 29th-minute booking for a clumsy intervention.

Sabah struggled to carve out meaningful opportunities, their attacking rhythm disrupted by Kuching’s disciplined defensive lines and aggressive midfield pressing. The hosts made the first move to shake things up, introducing G. Steven after halftime to inject energy, but the breakthrough remained elusive.

Kuching responded with a double substitution in the 61st minute, bringing on D. Amier and D. Asri, in an attempt to seize control in midfield — a tactical shift that yielded immediate dividends as they began to find pockets of space behind Sabah’s backline. Joao Pedro’s yellow card in the 65th minute signaled rising tensions, with the visitors pushing their lines higher and transitioning more purposefully.

The deadlock was finally broken in the 75th minute. Stephen Woods, finding room on the edge of the area, slipped a clever pass through Sabah’s tiring defense. Mintah, showing sharp anticipation, latched onto the ball and slotted calmly past the keeper for what would prove the match-winner. The goal sparked wild celebrations on the Kuching bench and dealt a heavy psychological blow to the home crowd.

Sabah’s response was frantic but lacked cohesion, and late substitutions — the reintroduction of Firdaus Chew and the addition of H. Jaineh and R. Dinesh — failed to ignite a comeback. R. Yanam’s late booking in the 87th minute encapsulated Sabah’s frustration as the match wound down.

With this result, Kuching not only claim a vital three points on the road but also make club history, ending Sabah’s lengthy dominance in their head-to-head. The win propels Kuching higher in the Super League table, while Sabah’s attacking problems deepen, having now gone three matches without scoring.

For Kuching, Mintah’s clinical finish and Woods’ creative spark will stand out in highlight reels across Malaysian football this weekend, as fans and pundits alike reassess the league’s balance of power.