JDT secure Malaysia Cup and a triple treble

 The Southern Tigers have won the Super League, the FA Cup and the Malaysia Cup in a single season for the third time.

Johor Darul Ta’zim (the Southern Tigers) won the Malaysia Cup for a third treble of championship titles. (JDT pic)

KUALA LUMPUR:

 Johor Darul Ta’zim achieved a triple treble when they clinched the Malaysia Cup by beating Sri Pahang FC 2-1 at the National Stadium in Bukit Jalil here tonight.

The local powerhouse has won the country’s three major footballing titles – the Super League, the FA Cup and the Malaysia Cup – in a single season thrice, completing an amazing feat known as the triple treble.

Southern Tigers strikers Bergson da Silva and Arif Aiman Hanapi rose to the occasion tonight by scoring a goal apiece in the second half to overcome Sri Pahang’s early goal by T Saravanan in the first half.

JDT, the defending champions, had started out strong, striking through an Oscar Arribas header from a corner kick that was cleared off the line by Sri Pahang defender Syazwan Andik Ishak.

But the sole goal in the first half came not from the defending champions but from Sri Pahang, when Saravanan slotted home the loose ball after JDT keeper Ahmad Syihan Hazmi Mohamed failed to catch Aleksandar Cvetkovic‘s header.

A shocked JDT redoubled their efforts, culminating in a shot by da Silva in the 26th minute that was cancelled following VAR confirmation that he was offside. He later came close to scoring again in the 31st minute, but his effort was just shy of Sri Pahang’s goal.

Sri Pahang’s luck began to wane after their first goal as Sergio Aguero was sent off after receiving his second yellow card in the 35th minute.

JDT came back on the pitch exuding confidence in the second half, and Arif Aiman’s shot from outside the penalty box in the 47th minute that was deflected by goalie Zarif Irfan Hashimuddin certainly put Sri Pahang on notice.

Not more than 10 minutes later, an incident inside the penalty area between Sri Pahang’s Azril Nasrulhaq Badrul Hisham and JDT’s Arribas led to a VAR review and referee Razlan Joffri Ali awarding a penalty to JDT, which da Silva calmly converted in the 54th minute.

The match was more or less evened out three minutes later when JDT went a man down after Park Jun Heong got his marching orders following his second yellow card of the match.

But it was not to be Sri Pahang’s night, as JDT seemingly smelt victory in the air, and after a missed shot by da Silva in the 65th minute, Arif Aiman caught a long ball and scored the winning goal in the 73rd minute.

The 2-1 result would stay till the final whistle, and JDT were crowned Malaysia Cup champions for 2025. - FMT