KUALA LUMPUR – Prolific Johor Darul Ta’zim (JDT) striker Bergson Gustavo da Silva scored a hat-trick as he helped the Southern Tigers thrash Kelantan FC 5-0 in the second leg of the Malaysia Cup quarter-final tie at Sultan Ibrahim Stadium in Iskandar Puteri tonight.
The huge win in front of the home crowd saw the nine-time Super League champions advance to the semi-finals with an aggregate score of 8-0, while Bergson has now scored five goals in the Malaysia Cup campaign so far.
All five goals in tonight’s match were scored in the first half, with Muhammad Syahmi Safari and Muhammad Nazmi Faiz Mansor also getting onto the scoresheet.
The opening goal in the 12th minute came after Nazmi capitalised on some poor ball control by Kelantan midfielder Felipe Hereda Dos Santos and passed the ball to Bergson, who calmly slotted it in.
The 31-year-old imported player from Brazil doubled the lead for JDT in the 34th minute after his superb free-kick left goalkeeper Ahmad Solehin Mamat stunned in goal.
He completed his hat-trick three minutes later after taking advantage of a mistake by defender Muhammad Ghaffar Abdul Rahman and lashing the ball in past the goalkeeper.
It was more agony for Rezal Zambery Yahya’s men as Syahmi’s sensational volley from outside the penalty box made it 5-0 for Hector Bidoglio’s side.
JDT’s opponent in the semi-finals will be three-time runner-up Sabah FC who beat Kuching FC 2-1 on aggregate after both teams played to a 1-1 draw in a rain-delayed second leg quarter-final at Likas Stadium in Kota Kinabalu tonight.
Japanese import Taiki Kagayama was the toast of Sabah when he struck the winning goal in the 94th minute as the match went into extra time.
Both teams were deadlocked 1-1 on aggregate after two legs, forcing the winner to be decided on extra time play.
It was Kagayama’s first goal in Sabah’s Malaysia Cup campaign.
In the match today, Kuching City took the lead in the 84th minute through an own goal by Ummareng Bacok who put the goal into his own goal while trying to clear a corner kick.
Sabah had won the first leg 1-0 last week. – Bernama, November 11, 2022
