Johor Darul Ta’zim II secured victory in the first match of this season after beating UM Damansara United in the Liga A1 Semi-Pro 2025/26 at UM Arena, Kuala Lumpur.
UM Damansara started with Eqhwan in goal, skipper Hariz Mansor in defence, and forward Anuar Ceesay leading the attack. JDT II, meanwhile, named Aysar Hadi as captain, with Ibrahim Manusi marshalling the midfield and Enzo Lombardo spearheading their frontline.
Both teams began aggressively, launching dangerous attacks despite the wet pitch conditions. The match turned feisty early, with two yellow cards issued — one to each side — within the first 15 minutes.
JDT II dominated possession and created multiple scoring opportunities, but UM Damansara’s goalkeeper Eqhwan pulled off several crucial saves to keep the score level. The hosts nearly broke the deadlock when Brandon Liew missed narrowly in front of goal, while JDT II’s pressure failed to yield a breakthrough before halftime.
After the break, UM Damansara came close again in the 58th minute when Taha Khalid’s effort rattled the crossbar. Both sides made tactical substitutions, with JDT II introducing Rafiefikri Rosman and Ziad El Basheer to inject fresh energy into the attack.
The decisive moment came in the 79th minute when Alif Mutalib unleashed a thunderous shot from outside the penalty area, beating Eqhwan and silencing the home crowd.
JDT II held firm for the remainder of the match to claim all three points in this tense away fixture.
Credit Photo : JST
