Negeri Sembilan FC were made to work the hard way before confirming their place in the 2025/26 Piala Malaysia quarter-finals, edging past a resilient Imigresen FC in the second leg of their Round of 16 tie at Tuanku Abdul Rahman Stadium, Paroi.
After a goalless draw in the first leg, both sides knew victory was the only route to a quarter-final showdown against Selangor FC, setting the stage for a tense and tightly contested encounter.
Imigresen FC named new signings Nick Swirad and Babacar Gueye on the bench, as revealed by Astro Arena journalist Fadhirul Shuhaimi, while Negeri Sembilan head coach Nidzam Jamil once again placed his trust in Luqman Hakim Shamsudin to provide width and attacking thrust for Sang Rusa.
The hosts pushed early for a breakthrough through the attacking quartet of Luqman, A. Selvan, Jovan Motika and Joseph Esso. Motika came close in the 21st minute, but his low drive was well saved by Imigresen goalkeeper Zarif Irfan Hashimuddin.
Negeri Sembilan went even closer 12 minutes later when South Korean midfielder An Sang-su rose highest to meet a cross, only to see his header crash against the post.
Just before the interval, the home side were awarded a penalty after VAR detected a foul by Pedro Santos on Selvan. However, Zarif once again proved Imigresen’s hero, producing a fine save to deny Takumi Sasaki, ensuring both teams went into the break still deadlocked.
Nidzam responded after the restart by introducing Singaporean duo Amirul Adli Azmi and Zahril Aziz Zabri to inject fresh energy and control into midfield.
The pressure finally told in the 62nd minute when Luqman Hakim broke the deadlock, calmly finishing from close range to beat Zarif and spark celebrations among the Paroi faithful.
Imigresen thought they had drawn level just three minutes later through Fayadh Zulkifli, but their joy was short-lived as the goal was ruled out for offside.
The visitors continued to press in search of an equaliser that would force extra time, prompting Nidzam to shore things up by introducing Luis Enrique Nsue and N. Javabilaarivin in place of Harith Samsuri and Sasaki.
The tactical adjustments paid off as Negeri Sembilan held firm to protect their slender advantage until the final whistle, sealing a 1-0 victory on the night and progression as the last team to book a spot in the Malaysia Cup quarter-finals.
Next up, Sang Rusa will face Kuching City FC on January 31, while Imigresen FC turn their focus to a tough league encounter against Johor Darul Ta’zim on February 1.
Credit Photo : NSFC
