PETALING JAYA: UM-Damansara are stepping into the Southern Tigers' Den on Friday (Aug 15) for an FA cup round of 16 first-leg tie, with most expecting Johor Darul Ta'zim (JDT) to roar to victory long before the first whistle.
But the A1 Semi-Pro League side aren't just going to roll over as they are plotting an unlikely upset.
Their preparation included a dress rehearsal of sorts last week against JDT II in league action, a narrow 0-1 defeat that offered both lessons and warnings.
Centreback and former national Under-23 defender A. Shivan Pillay knows the challenge ahead and is under no illusion.
"We did well against JDT II but the main team is 100 times better," said the 24-year-old, who has featured for Super League sides like Petaling Jaya City, Perak and Selangor.
"We've trained hard for this game, focusing on our plan. The goal is simple – keep the scoreline tight and make the most of any chances."
UM-Damansara, led by coach Ridzuan Abu Shah, will take inspiration from Negri Sembilan, who stunned JDT by taking a 2-0 lead before eventually falling 3-5 in their Super League clash.
"We must defend stronger and hit them on the counter. We've seen how their backline sometimes plays high - there are spaces to exploit," Shivan added.
"We have to run for every ball, give every ounce of effort, and hopefully, we can score." Originally slated for UM Arena in Kuala Lumpur, the match was moved to the Sultan Ibrahim Stadium after the Malaysian Football League deemed UM-Damansara's home ground below standard.
That means facing JDT not once, but in effect twice on their home turf.
Shivan admits the squad have talked about the scale of the challenge and the likelihood of a long night as they prepare to face a star-studded attack featuring Brazilians Bergson Da Silva, Jairo Da Silva and Heberty Fernandes, along with national striker Joao Figueiredo and Malaysia's golden boy Arif Aiman Hanapi.
"It's going to be a long game because these are top professionals," Shivan said.
"But playing against players like this makes you better. We'll cherish the exposure and do whatever it takes to limit the goals."
Ahead of the tie, UM-Damansara received a timely boost with the arrival of winger Sean Gan Giannelli.
The 28-year-old, formerly with Kuala Lumpur from 2023 to 2025, was part of the JDT set-up between 2016 and 2019.
"Sean has Super League experience and knows what it's like to play for JDT. He'll be key for us, especially on the break," said Shivan.
