KUALA LUMPUR: Eduardo Sosa proved to be the saviour as Selangor fought back from a goal down to carve out a narrow 2-1 victory over a spirited Kuching City in the first leg of their FA Cup semi-final at the MBPJ Stadium on Friday.
The Red Giants were handed a wake-up call just nine minutes in when Ramdhan Saifullah silenced the home crowd, finishing smartly to put the underdogs ahead.
However, Selangor's response was swift as it took Argentine midfielder Sosa just 10 minutes to restore parity with a composed 19th-minute strike to settle the hosts' early nerves.
Selangor dictated the tempo after the break and were rewarded in the 58th minute. Brazilian forward Chrigor Moraes whipped in a pinpoint cross from the flank, and Sosa arrived right on cue to guide the ball past the Kuching goalkeeper for his second of the night.
For Selangor, this year's FA Cup campaign represents both a pursuit of grand heritage and a desperate bid to end a prolonged silverware drought. The Klang Valley outfit are currently tied with Kedah and Johor Darul Ta'zim (JDT) atop the all-time roll of honour with five titles (1991, 1997, 2001, 2005, and 2009).
Yet it has been 17 long years since they last hoisted the trophy, having endured heartbreak in the 2018 final against Pahang (4-2) and a crushing 6-1 drubbing by JDT in the 2024 showpiece.
Despite the first-leg defeat, Kuching City remain firmly in the tie. Founded just 11 years ago as an amateur outfit in the state league, the "Cats" have punched well above their weight to reach back-to-back semi-finals, following their 4-1 aggregate defeat to eventual champions JDT at this same stage last season.
Meanwhile in Bandar Seri Begawan, powerhouses JDT put one foot in the final after registering a 2-0 win over DPMM at the Hassanal Bolkiah National Stadium.
Prolific hitman Bergson da Silva broke the deadlock for the Southern Tigers in the 21st minute with a trademark clinical finish.
DPMM battled bravely to keep the deficit manageable, but JDT's relentless pressure paid off in the 72nd minute when defensive midfielder Eddy Israfilov doubled the visitors' tally, leaving the Bruneian outfit with a mountain to climb.
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