UNSTOPPABLE JDT
Southern Tigers running away with sixth consecutive Super League title
CAN anyone stop Johor Darul Ta’zim (JDT) from winning the Super League crown for the sixth straight time?
On Tuesday, JDT extended their lead at the top of the standings to eight points with a dominant 2-0 victory over secondplaced Pahang, courtesy of goals from captain Hariss Harun (70th) and substitute Akhyar Rashid (90th), in Larkin.
With an impressive record of 10 wins and three draws so far, the club could navigate their entire league season without losing a match for the crown.
JDT have joined “The Invincibles” of Asian football in 2016 by becoming the first ever unbeaten champions in the Super League.
Now, the Southern Tigers aim to stamp their mark again by winning in style.
However, JDT manager Luciano Figueroa does not want his team to get carried away by thinking that they can win the title easily this year.
The Argentine reminded the JDT players that they should not be too comfortable with the eight-point lead.
“The other teams have improved a lot in the second half of the season,” said Figueroa. “There have been many surprising results. PJ City FC showed their mettle by bouncing back from 3-0 down to beat Terengganu 5-3.
“We need to be careful and also respect all teams, especially the mid-table clubs.
“Teams like Kedah, Selangor and Perak are also improving and we cannot afford
to take them for granted.”
On the win over Pahang, Figueroa said: “It was a nervy affair as although we dominated, we could not score until the final 20 minutes of the match.
“However, my players performed well and followed instructions throughout the match,” he added.
Pahang coach Dollah Salleh was unhappy with the manner of his team’s defeat.
“We, especially our defence, gave JDT players too much room to dictate the match. Basically, we were not disciplined in our play. I reminded our players not to give JDT players, especially their flankers, space but they did not follow instructions.
“The absence of striker Dickson Nwakaeme also affected our attack. Those who played did not pose a serious threat to JDT’s defence.
“I am disappointed because we came here to play for a win but things did not go as planned.”
In Kuala Terengganu, PJ City produced an epic fightback to beat Irfan Bakti’s side 5-3. Terengganu took a 3-0 lead at half-time through Kipre Tchetche (11th), Nabil Ahmad Lapti (18th) and Ashaari Samsudin (19th).
Undeterred, PJ City bounced back with goals from Elizeu Batista (49th), Pedro Henrique (57th and 80th), Washington Brandao (58th) and Zamri Pin Ramli (77th).
“I did not expect my team to bounce back and beat Terengganu in their own backyard. Today’s result is something out of the ordinary,” said PJ City coach K. Devan.
Terengganu assistant coach Mohamad Nik said: “We led 3-0 and let in five goals in the second half... it is a result we just can’t accept.
“Today, we only played football in the first half.”
Angry fans confronted Terengganu coaches and players after the match. Irfan had earlier upset fans for making a negative remark about his team recently.
In other matches, Perak defeated Perak SEDC 3-1 in Ipoh while Kuala Lumpur recorded just their third win of the season by edging PKNS 2-1 in Cheras. RESULTS — SUPER LEAGUE: JDT 2 Pahang 0, Terengganu 3 PJ City FC 5, Perak 3 Perak SEDC 1, KL 2 PKNS 1.