Perak fans hope to see Mehmet’s team beat JDT again

PETALING JAYA: Will lightning strike twice at the Perak Stadium in Ipoh this season?

Well, the Perak fans will surely be hoping so as the silver state attempt to pull off another famous win over Super League champions Johor Darul Ta’zim (JDT) in the first leg of the Malaysia Cup semifinals at the Perak Stadium in Ipoh on Sunday.

The Southern Tigers went down 21 to Perak in a Super League match in Ipoh on Feb 18.

All eyes will be on Mehmet Durakovic’s side to repeat it against their bitter rivals and boost their hopes of qualifying for the Malaysia Cup final, which they last qualified 10 years ago (and lost 30 to Kedah).

Perak goalkeeper Hafizul Hakim Khairul Nizam Jothy is hoping that history will repeat itself but believes that the fourtime Super League champions will be better prepared this time.

“This is a different game and we cannot look at past results. We will go into the game believing that JDT can be beaten,” said Hafizul, who just returned home after playing for Malaysia in the 2019 Asian Cup qualifying round match, which they lost 20 in Hong Kong on Tuesday.

“I know all eyes will be on us to keep a clean slate. We are aware that it will be more difficult to play JDT in their own backyard. So, we’ll need to keep our shape at all times and get a positive result in front of our home fans.

“We have failed in the FA Cup and the Super League. The Malaysia Cup is our last chance,” said Hafizul.

The task of getting the goals will again be on the shoulders of twin strikers Yashir Pinto of Palestine and Bulgaria’s Vladislav Mirchev. They were both on target in the 21 win over JDT on Feb 18.

JDT will host the return leg at the Larkin Stadium on Oct 21.