Johor Darul Ta’zim (JDT) were made to work hard and back to top spot after grinding out a narrow 1-0 victory over Kuching City in the Liga Super Malaysia 2025/26 at Stadium Negeri, Kuching.
Fresh from their win against Lion City Sailors in the Shopee Cup, JDT were eager to maintain their momentum. Meanwhile, The Cats were looking to bounce back after a 3-2 defeat to Brunei DPMM in the FA Cup Round of 16.
Coach Xisco Muñoz restored Syihan Hazmi Mohamed between the posts, while Kuching City relied on Ronald Ngah, Hazwan Bakri, and Ramadhan Saifullah for attacking firepower.
The first half saw JDT dominate possession, with Jairo da Silva, Arif Aiman, and Joao Figueiredo spearheading waves of attacks. However, Kuching City’s defence, marshalled by James Okwuosa, held firm, frustrating the visitors.
JDT’s best chance came from Figueiredo, but the Brazilian striker fired over the bar, ensuring the deadlock remained 0-0 at halftime.
The game turned decisively just five minutes into the second half when Yuki Tanigawa was shown a red card for a reckless challenge, reducing Kuching City to 10 men.
JDT quickly capitalised on the numerical advantage. In the 60th minute, Jairo rose highest to head home the breakthrough goal past goalkeeper Haziq Nadzli, silencing the home crowd.
Figueiredo almost doubled the lead with a curling effort in the 66th minute, only to be denied by Haziq’s sharp reflexes. Despite Kuching City’s late push for an equaliser, JDT held firm to secure all three points.
The win lifts JDT back to the top of the table with nine points, leapfrogging Terengganu FC. Kuching City, meanwhile, drop to fifth place with three points after two matches.
Credit Photo : JST
