KUALA LUMPUR – FA Cup action resumes after a two year hiatus due to the Covid-19 pandemic, with Super League defending champions Johor Darul Ta’zim (JDT) and 2011 FA Cup winners Terengganu FC (TFC) battling it out at the National Stadium in Bukit Jalil on Saturday.
Based on their track record and current performance in the Malaysian Football League, JDT certainly look the best bet to lift the title that the Southern Tigers had won back in 2016 after beating PKNS FC 2-1.
But track records aside, former Kedah head coach Mohd Azraai Khor Abdullah feels this year’s final will be a challenging assignment for JDT who are currently helmed by new head coach Hector Bidoglio from Venezuela, who took charge in July.
Azraai, who had led Kedah to the 2007 and 2008 FA Cup titles, said the final will be a major test for Bidoglio to prove his credibility against an impressive track record set by former head coach Benjamin Mora, who stepped down in July due to personal reasons.
“Stepping into the shoes of Mora is a major task since the former head coach had led JDT to numerous titles. Bidoglio will need to dig deep into his reserves to emulate such success,” Azraai said when contacted today.
Mora is arguably JDT’s most successful coach, winning four Super League titles, four Charity Shields, one Malaysia Cup as well as having led the club to the knockout stages of the AFC Champions Cup.
Azraai reckons JDT will emerge as FA Cup champions by beating Terengganu FC 2-0 due to the prowess of its strike force, namely Arif Aiman Mohd Hanapi and imports Fernando Forestieri and Bergson Da Silva.
“As for TFC, much will depend on the performance of its midfield duo, Manuel Ott, Habib Haroon and striker Faisal Abdul Halim,” he said.
Meanwhile, former Terengganu head coach Irfan Bakti Abu Salim feels the final will be a closely fought encounter and an entertaining showcase for the fans who have waited for more than two years to watch a good final.
Incidentally, Irfan was the head coach when Terengganu won the FA Cup back in 2011, beating Kelantan 2-1, and believes it would not be impossible for an east coast side to emerge victorious.
“JDT’s performance is a little bit like a ‘yo-yo’, especially the recent 1-1 draw against Selangor, but JDT have always been on a totally different level from others. Many of the players from the team are also national players,” he said.
The Kuching City FC coach feels TFC should beef up their midfield to avoid JDT taking control of the match.
The FA Cup final between JDT FC and Terengganu FC will be held at the National Stadium in Bukit Jalil on Saturday. – Bernama, September 8, 2022
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