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PETALING JAYA: Johor Darul Ta’zim has proven to be an untouchable in the Super League, and now he wants to be the best in the region.
The team led by Mexican coach Benjamín Mora sealed its seventh consecutive title, in a season that has been shortened to just 11 games due to the spread of the Covid-19 virus, with an impressive 4-1 victory over Sabah at its new stadium , the Sultan Ibrahim Stadium in Iskandar Puteri, on Friday.
The Tigres del Sur’s first goal came in the 38th minute when Diogo Santo capped off a brilliant play between La’Vere Corbin Ong and Afiq Fazail.
Safawi Rasid continued his strong presence for the team as he scored the second goal in the 56th minute after receiving a deep pass from substitute Nazmi Faiz Mansor and unleashing a fierce left-foot shot from 20 meters.
Sabah refused to budge and cut the deficit when Thai-German forward Dennis Buschening fired a left-foot shot into the JDT area in the 74th minute.
However, seven minutes later, JDT ended the match when 19-year-old Ramadhan Saifullah took advantage of a mistake by Sabah captain Rawilson Batuil and passed it to Safawi, who scored his second goal in the game and his seventh in the season.
Leandro Velásquez made it even more impressive when he scored with a free kick in the 84th minute.
Mora said finishing his last home game with the league title spoke to the players’ mental toughness, authority in the game and dignity.
“The logo (of the team) that we carry is very, very heavy. It was not easy because Sabah came only to defend and look for counterattacks, ”said Mora.
“We couldn’t break the lines. The players really wanted to give up, and when Diogo scored the first goal, everything fell into place.
“This seventh consecutive title is emotional. First, Safawi will leave the club for Europe. We also play games without the fans due to the pandemic.
JDT will not have Safawi next season, as he flew to Portugal yesterday. He will play for the Portuguese Portimonense of the Primeira Liga.
“Players and coaches come and go, but the fans are there all the time. We really miss your presence.
“Every team in the league wants to win, but only one can. I have the privilege of being part of this team. This victory shouldn’t be about me. The players and TMJ (owner of JDT, Tunku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim) should win the applause.
Mora said it was time to raise the bar and seek success beyond Malaysia.
“Since 2013, JDT has been growing rapidly. Look what TMJ has done. He has built an empire and a culture of winning. We hope to continue growing and be the best in the region soon ”.
JDT has been dominating the league since 2014, and this season, they have remained undefeated.
With one game to go, they top the table with 26 points. They are nine points ahead of Perak, second in the standings.
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