Calderon: Draw with Kuching City fair

KUCHING: Kitchee SC head coach Inigo Calderon believes a 1-1 draw with Kuching City FC was a fair result, with both sides sharing the points in their Asian Champions League Two (ACL2) Group H clash at Taha Ariffin Stadium.

Calderon admitted it was a difficult match for his side, which conceded an early goal but managed to fight back and get back into the game.

Despite acknowledging that Kitchee did not produce their best performance, he praised his players for their effort and determination to keep pushing until the final whistle.

“I think the draw is a fair result for both teams. When you don’t have your best day, maybe a point is not bad, and I think we had chances,” he said.

Calderon stressed that his approach would remain focused on each match rather than the team’s position in the group standings.

He said Kitchee would continue to aim for victory in every game, while accepting that a point could still be valuable when they were unable to secure all three.

“We came here to win, and if you cannot win, then you get one point and let’s try to do the same the next game,” he said.

Inigo Calderon speaks at the post-match press conference following Kitchee SC’s 1-1 draw with Kuching City FC. Photo: Gabriel Lihan

The coach added that the league table should reflect the team’s performances rather than dictate how they approach their matches.

Calderon also acknowledged that Kitchee had been dealing with setbacks, including the absence of several players through injury and illness.

He said the team had to adapt to the situation and make the most of the players available rather than dwell on those difficulties.

“We just take it and we move forward, that’s it, simple,” he said.

Kitchee will now look to recover quickly and prepare for their next fixture against Phnom Penh Crown on Oct 29 as they continue their ACL2 Group H campaign.