ISKANDAR PUTERI – Johor Darul Ta’zim (JDT) cruised into the Malaysia Cup final after an emphatic 8-1 win over Perak FC in their second leg Malaysia Cup semifinal at the Sultan Ibrahim Stadium, here tonight.
The 8-1 win coupled with the 4-1 first leg victory meant JDT move into the final with a 12-2 aggregate score which probably will go down in Malaysian football history as the biggest victory margin in a Malaysia Cup semifinal.
JDT’s opponent in the final will be decided tomorrow when Terengganu FC host KL City FC in another semifinal at the Sultan Mizan Zainal Abidin Stadium in Terengganu.
On paper though Terengganu looks to be the likely finalist after having taken a 2-1 lead from the first leg.
Striker Arif Aiman Mohd Hanapi set JDT on the path to victory with the opening goal in the 11th minute while Brazil import Bergson Gustavo Silveira Da Silva made it 2-0 before Heberty Fernandes De Andrade made it 3-0 four minutes later.
Despite having a comfortable lead, JDT refused to sit back and relax as Argentinian import Fernando Martin Forestieri made it 4-0 in the 52nd minute while Bergson Da Silva was on target again in the 59th minute Muhammad Syafiq Ahmad made it 6-0 in the 61st minute.
Muhammad Syafig made it 7-0 in the 77th minute after punishing a mistake by Perak FC defender Luka Milunovic while Heberty Fernandes completed the rout in the final minute.
Perak came alive in the dying seconds of the match to score a mere consolation goal through Muhammad Firdaus Ahmad Fuad, well into injury time. – Bernama, November 3, 2023
