Defending champions Johor Darul Takzim is back in the Malaysia Cup business with a massive 5-1 win over Kedah in a Group C match at the Larkin Stadium in Johor Bahru on Friday.
The match was a repeat of last year’s Malaysia Cup final which JDT won 2-0. With Friday’s win, the Southern Tiger moved into the second spot in the group with three points while newcomers MISC-MIFA continued their fine start to the competition with a 2-0 win over Kelantan at the Petaling Jaya Stadium in Kelana Jaya.
MIFA had shocked JDT 2-1 at Larkin in their opening match and two wins out of two and six points keep K. Devan’s team on the top. Kelantan and Kedah have one point each and separated by goal difference.
After the defeat to MIFA, JDT hogged the limelight again hours before the Kedah match by announcing massive changes in the team’s management set-up with former player Luciano Figueroa named as the manager and Benjamin Mora taking over as the head coach from Raul Longhi.
The Southern Tigers woke up in the second half to blast four goals past a hapless Ramadan Hamid in the Kedah goal after Fernando Marquez opened the scoring in the 13th minute with an assist by Corbin Ong.
Kedah drew level on 35 minutes with a little help from JDT’s Natso Insa when skipper Sandro Da Silva Mendoca picked up Insa’s miskick and hit past Farizal Marlias.
Insa made amends for his mistake and gave JDT a 2-1 lead in the 46th minute and it was plain sailing for the Southern Tigers from there on. Hazwan Bakri (72nd), Gonzalo Cabrera (82nd) and S. Kunanlan (90th) completed the scoring.
MIFA rode on a 25th-minute penalty by Sean Sherman for the lead against Kelantan before P. Satrunan added the second in the 72nd minute. RIZAL ABDULLAH
