JDT complete another trophy sweep with late Malaysia Cup roar

KUALA LUMPUR: Second-half goals from Marcos Guilherme and substitute Arif Aiman Hanapi earned JDT a hard-fought 2-0 win over Kuching City in the Malaysia Cup final on Saturday to complete an unprecedented fourth consecutive domestic quadruple.

The victory marked a fourth straight season since 2022 that JDT has swept all four major domestic trophies — the Charity Shield, the FA Cup, the Super League, and the Malaysia Cup.

The physical intensity of the final was established just two minutes in when JDT’s Afiq Fazail received a yellow card for a heavy challenge on Petrus Shitembi, prompting Qatari referee Mohammed Ahmed Al-Shammari to set a firm tone early on, at the National Stadium in Bukit Jalil.

The Southern Tigers thought they had taken the lead in the 12th minute when Bergson da Silva volleyed home, but the goal was ruled out for an infringement in the build-up.

Despite sustained pressure from JDT, Kuching maintained their defensive shape and threatened on the counter.

Their best opening of the first half came in the 20th minute when Ramadhan Saifullah Usman narrowly missed connecting with a low cross inside the box.

Kuching goalkeeper Haziq Nadzli remained solid after the interval, denying Bergson once more.

Kuching were then presented with a golden opportunity to take a historic lead in the 61st minute after La’Vere Corbin-Ong fouled Ramadhan in the penalty area.

However, Ramadhan sent the resulting penalty wide of the post, leaving the match scoreless.

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The momentum shifted in the 65th minute with the introduction of winger Arif Aiman, who was making his return from injury.

His presence immediately re-energised the JDT attack, and the breakthrough finally arrived in the 81st minute.Oscar Arribas slipped a precise pass into the box, and Guilherme timed his run to steer the ball past Haziq.

With Kuching City pushing forward in search of a late equaliser, JDT capitalised on the open space in stoppage time.

In the 91st minute, Arif Aiman cut inside and unleashed a shot that struck the inside of the post, deflecting across the goal line to seal the 2-0 victory.

JDT thought they had added a third in the 95th minute when Stuart Wilkin found the back of the net, but the goal was disallowed.

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المصدر: New Straits Times