KUALA LUMPUR (Dec 15) - Johor Darul Ta'zim (JDT) etched their name deeper into Malaysian football history after becoming the first club to lift the FA Cup four consecutive times, following a commanding 5-0 victory over Sabah in the final on Sunday (Dec 14).
The Southern Tigers asserted their dominance early at the Bukit Jalil National Stadium, opening the scoring in the ninth minute when Jonathan Silva rose to head in a free kick delivered by Oscar Arribas.
JDT extended their lead in the 20th minute after Sabah defender Rawilson Batuil inadvertently diverted the ball into his own net. The pressure continued as Jairo Da Silva found the back of the net three minutes later, giving JDT a comfortable 3-0 advantage at half-time.
Sabah’s challenge weakened further shortly after the interval when midfielder Miguel Cifuentes was sent off just five minutes into the second half.
Capitalising on their numerical advantage, JDT added a fourth goal in the 64th minute through Arribas. Manuel Hidalgo then completed the rout with a late strike to seal a comprehensive 5-0 win.
Hidalgo, an Argentina-born player, capped off an outstanding performance by being named man of the match. The triumph also marked JDT’s fourth successive FA Cup title since reclaiming the trophy in 2022.
In celebration of the achievement, Johor Mentri Besar Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi announced Monday (Dec 15) as a special public holiday for the state.
Image taken from Sabah FC's FB Page