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KUALA LUMPUR – Super League 2022 champions Johor Darul Ta’zim (JDT) began their Malaysia Cup campaign in style by trouncing Petaling Jaya City FC 4-0 in the first-round, first-leg tie at Petaling Jaya City Council Stadium last night.
JDT, last year’s beaten finalists, needed just four minutes to open the scoring with a header by defender Shahrul Mohd Saad off a corner kick before Muhammad Safawi Rasid doubled their lead with a left-footed lob in the 39th minute.
The Southern Tigers then made it 3-0 in the 70th minute when Muhammad Akhyar Abdul Rashid played a lovely one-two with Leandro Velazquez before slotting the ball home.
Fernando Forestieri then capped a wonderful night for JDT by clinching the fourth goal nine minutes later when he connected cleanly with a pass from Arif Aiman Mohd Hanapi to ensure the return leg at their home ground should be just a formality.
In another match, Selangor, who have won the Malaysia Cup a record 33 times, also managed to carve out a comfortable 2-0 away win over Kelantan United FC at Sultan Muhammad IV Stadium in Kota Baru.
The Red Giants, under the tutelage of former national coach Tan Cheng Hoe, got their goals through a Herlison Caion Ferreira brace, with the Brazilian heading home the first in the 37th minute and adding the second with a right-footer from close range in the 63rd minute.
Selangor are now unbeaten in five matches, including one draw, since Cheng Hoe took over as head coach at the end of September.
Over at UiTM Stadium in Shah Alam, Sabah FC also began their Malaysia Cup campaign on the right note when they downed UiTM FC 2-1.
Sabah, coached by Datuk Ong Kim Swee, dominated the first half and broke the deadlock through former national player Baddrol Bakhtiar just one minute before the break.
The second half turned a little ugly as both teams resorted to some rough tactics, forcing referee Muhammad Khairulsyahmi Ahmad Khalidi to flash three yellow cards.
Sabah then made it 2-0 through Maxsius Musa in the 70th minute before UiTM managed to narrow the deficit through George Tetteh Attram in the 90th minute.
At the Sarawak State Stadium in Kuching, Kenta Hara was the hero for Kelantan FC when his 82nd-minute strike nudged them into a 1-0 lead over Sarawak United FC for the return leg next week.
Meanwhile, Kedah Darul Aman FC failed to capitalise on their home ground advantage when they slipped to a 2-1 loss to Negri Sembilan FC at Darul Aman Stadium in Alor Star.
Credit however went to the visitors for a valiant performance, especially after fighting back from going 1-0 down through a Fayadh Zulkifli Amin goal in the eighth minute.
Che Rashid Che Halim sparked Negri Sembilan’s fightback when he equalised in the 42nd minute, before Matheus Alves scored the winning goal in the 62nd minute with a powerful header past goalkeeper Mohd Ifwat Akmal Chek Kassim.
Meanwhile, Kuching City FC fought back from being two goals down to hold hosts Penang FC 2-2 at City Stadium in George Town. – Bernama, October 27, 2022
