DPMM FC 3-2 Kuching City FC: the red card that turned it in Bandar Seri Begawan

DPMM FC beat Kuching City FC 3-2 in the Malaysia Super League at the Hassanal Bolkiah National Stadium in Bandar Seri Begawan on 18 October. They were behind early in the second half, and they won it against a side reduced by a red card.

How it unfolded

Dalberto put the home side ahead in the 6th minute. Makan Bola reported that he headed it in from a cross by Farris Izdiham Awang Kechik. Dylan Wenzel-Halls equalised before half-time, and Stadium Astro reported that his goal came from a free kick. Wenzel-Halls scored again in the 50th minute, and Kuching City FC were in front.

Then the game turned on Petrus Shitembi. He was booked in the 53rd minute and booked again in the 62nd, and the second yellow meant a red card. Stadium Astro reported that a hard challenge earned him that second yellow, and that DPMM FC drew level at 2-2 from the free kick awarded for it. Azwan Ali Rahman scored the equaliser in the 64th minute; Makan Bola names him as the home side’s captain. In the 67th minute Dalberto scored his second, and it proved the winner.

Why it went the home side’s way

So was this a win built on character? That is how DPMM FC head coach Jamie McAllister read it, in remarks published by the Malaysian Football League: he praised his players’ character at the critical moments, and the league’s report said their hard work, above all in the second half, paid off. McAllister also called Kuching City FC a quality side.

Character is the easy explanation, and it leaves out the order of events. Until the 62nd minute it was Kuching City FC who had come from behind. Both of the home side’s second-half goals came after the red card. The evidence gives two real reasons, and they rank like this.

First, the sending-off. Kuching City FC received 1 red card to DPMM FC’s 0. It did more than leave the visitors short: by Stadium Astro’s account, the same challenge gave DPMM FC the free kick that brought them level. On that account, a side that was ahead lost the lead and a player to the same challenge.

Second, Dalberto. He scored the first goal of the evening and the last. McAllister singled him out, by his full name Dalberto Luan Belo, for the impact of his goals. The winner came once DPMM FC had the extra player, and he took his chance.

Discipline runs under both. Kuching City FC received 5 yellow cards to DPMM FC’s 2. Shitembi’s first booking came in the 53rd minute, so the challenge in the 62nd minute was always going to cost him.

The meetings before

The score had a familiar look. DPMM FC also beat Kuching City FC 3-2 at the same stadium in the Malaysia FA Cup on 16 August 2025. Kuching City FC won the return in Kuching 7-1 on 14 September 2025. They also won both legs of the Malaysia Cup quarter-final in February 2026, 3-1 each time. This was the home side’s first win over them since August 2025.

Where it leaves them

In the Malaysia Super League table, Kuching City FC are third with 12 points from 6 matches. DPMM FC are fourth with 9 points from 5. Johor Darul Ta’zim and Selangor FC sit above both.

For DPMM FC, it follows a 2-1 win away to Sabah FC on 13 September. For Kuching City FC, it is a first league defeat since they lost 3-0 to Johor Darul Ta’zim on 21 August.

In the league, DPMM FC host Negeri Sembilan FC at the same ground on 30 October, kicking off at 4pm. Kuching City FC visit Negeri Sembilan FC in the league on 20 November.

Verdict

StraitScore’s view: DPMM FC deserve credit for how quickly they punished the red card, scoring in the 64th and 67th minutes. But this was a game Kuching City FC let slip as much as one the home side won. They were ahead, and by Stadium Astro’s account a second booking for one of their own handed DPMM FC the free kick that levelled it. Dalberto’s goals decided the result; Shitembi’s red card is what made the comeback possible.