KUALA LUMPUR – Defending Malaysia Cup champion Johor Darul Ta’zim (JDT) moved into the Malaysia Cup quarterfinals in style by whipping Kelantan FC 10-0 in a second round last 16 encounter at the Sultan Ibrahim Stadium in Iskandar Puteri, Johor, last night.
Having taken a 5-1 lead in the first leg, JDT marched into the quarterfinals with a 15-1 aggregate victory.
The 10 goals scored today were contributed by seven different players with JDT’s prolific striker leading the rout, scoring a hat-trick while Takahiro Kunimoto added a brace.
Esteban Solari’s JDT started their goal feast when Bergson Da Silva broke the deadlock in the 21st minute, followed by Kunimoto’s brace in the 24th and 37th minutes while Bergson added his second two minutes before the break.
Not contended with the 4-0 first-half lead, JDT went on the offensive immediately after the break and during a 11-minute spell, struck four goals through Juan Muniz (53rd), Daryl Sham (59th), Heberty Fernandes (61st) and Arif Aiman Mohd Hanapi (64th).
Bergson completed his hat-trick in the 72nd minute before substitute Ahmad Aysar Hadi Mohd Shapri made it 10-0 well into injury time after the 90 minutes of regulation play had ended.
In the quarter-finals, JDT will meet the winner of tomorrow’s match between Negri Sembilan FC and Kelantan United FC.
At the Petaling Jaya City Council Stadium, 33-time Malaysia Cup winner Selangor FC booked their slot in the quarter-finals with a 5-3 aggregate despite losing 1-2 to PDRM FC tonight because Selangor had taken a 4-1 lead in the first leg.
Selangor took the lead in the 25th minute through Yohandry Orozo, but The Cops under Datuk Ahmad Yunus Mohd Alif bounced back to equalise seven minutes later when striker Mohamad Nabil Ahmad Latpi guided in a pass from Uche Agba, who sneaked past Selangor’s offside trap.
Just when the match was heading for a draw, Selangor defender Harith Haiqal Adam Afkar presented PDRM with the winning goal when his attempt to stop a cross saw the goal slip into his own goal.
Selangor will take on Terengganu FC in the quarter-finals.
Meanwhile, at the Likas Stadium in Kota Kinabalu, three-time runner-up Sabah FC booked their berth in the quarter-finals with a 4-1 aggregate after a 1-1 draw against Kuching City FC last night.
Sabah will face Perak FC who knocked out Kedah. – Bernama, August 20, 2023
