Johor Darul Ta’Zim earned 3 points and secure top-flight position after beating Kuching City scoring 2-1 in the Liga Super Malaysia 2024/25 at Sultan Ibrahim Stadium, Iskandar Puteri.
The Southern Tigers dominated much of the match but were initially frustrated in front of goal. Juan Muniz set up an early chance in the 10th minute with a through ball to Nazmi Faiz Mansor, who attempted a shot from outside the box, only to miss narrowly. JDT continued to push but was unable to find the breakthrough despite several close attempts, including a corner kick in the 36th minute that saw Arif Aiman Hanapi send a long-range effort just over the bar.
JDT thought they had taken the lead in the 40th minute when Jorge Obregon found the back of the net. However, his goal was disallowed as he was ruled offside after pouncing on a loose ball from Arif Aiman’s shot, which had been mishandled by Kuching City’s goalkeeper, Shahril Sa’ari.
The home side finally broke the deadlock three minutes into the second half. Bergson da Silva, brought on as a substitute, headed in an accurate cross from Arif Aiman, giving JDT a 1-0 lead. Obregon’s frustration continued as another goal he scored in the 52nd minute was also disallowed for offside.
Kuching City, though outplayed, showed resilience. Shamie Izuan came close to leveling the score in the 69th minute, forcing JDT goalkeeper Syihan Hazmi into a crucial save to keep his team ahead.
In the 82nd minute, JDT doubled their advantage when Muniz coolly finished off a through ball from Bergson, placing the ball into the bottom corner to make it 2-0.
Kuching City refused to go down without a fight. Fernando Welter reduced the deficit with a well-taken goal in the dying minutes, but it was too late to salvage a point as JDT held on for the 2-1 victory.
This hard-fought win gives JDT a boost of confidence ahead of their upcoming AFC Champions League Elite 2024/25 match against Shanghai Shenhua at the same stadium on Tuesday.
Credit Photo : JST
