JDT EYE THAI SCALP
Johor side ready to face Muangthong in AFC Champions League qualifier
DEVINDER SINGH devinder@nst.com.my fierce match because Muangthong are not just any other side and they have the best players,” said goalkeeper Izham Tarmizi Roslan on the Johor Southern Tigers Facebook page.
“The friendly matches during pre-season in Thailand have had a positive effect on us. The three matches have clearly improved our quality of play and I am optimistic we can match Muangthong.
“They have made several player changes and are a completely different team from the one we faced two seasons ago. Their strikers are great and we need to be careful of these players.”
Diaz, Hariss and Marcos Antonio, who all missed in the shootout two years ago against Thai league runners-up Muangthong, are back in Bangkok aiming for a different outcome at the Suppachalasai National Stadium.
“We know Muangthong are a good team and before this, we played against them in 2016,” said JDT captain Safiq Rahim on the Asian Football Confederation website.
“Now in 2018, it’s a different story, a different chapter, so we want to have a better result.”
Safiq expressed a desire to play in the Champions League group stage before calling time on his career, although that dream could come through next year as well, as the 2018 Super League champions are guaranteed a direct group stage berth in 2019.
“This is a dream in my personal career, so I want to go to the AFC Champions League (group stage) before I quit football in another two or three years,” added Safiq.
Coach Ulisses Morais will have goalkeeper Haziq Nadzli available after he flew in from the AFC Under-23 Championship in China.
Muangthong reached the last16 of the Champions League last year on the back of five goals from Teerasil Dangda, who has since been loaned to J-League side Sanfrecce Hiroshima.