No let-up: JDT’s Raul Parra (right) vying for the ball with Machida Zelvia’s Gen Shoji during the AFC Champions League Elite match at the Sultan Ibrahim Stadium on Tuesday. — Bernama
PETALING JAYA: It’s a disappointing situation for Johor Darul Ta’zim (JDT) to be in but in times like these, looking at the positives is key.
JDT striker Bergson Da Silva admitted that losing three of his teammates – Joao Figueiredo, Jon Irazabal and Hector Hevel – who have been sidelined following FIFA’s sanctions last week, was tough as they played important roles in the team.
However, Da Silva, who is the league’s all-time top goalscorer, said the absence of the three players also opens the door for other players to step up.
“We feel sorry for them because they are very important players for us. But we understand the situation, plus we have a big squad – we have almost 40 players.
“So everybody needs to be ready for this moment because good things happen when you work hard and when opportunity touches your door, you have to be ready.
“So for players that have not been playing before, this is their chance and could be a key moment for us this season,” said Da Silva.
JDT were left without the three players during their goalless draw with Japanese side Machida Zelvia in their AFC Champions League Elite match at the Sultan Ibrahim Stadium on Tuesday.
Last Friday, FIFA fined FAM 350,000 Swiss francs (RM1.8mil) and slapped 12-month bans on seven Malaysian mixed-heritage players – Figueiredo, Irazabal, Hevel, Facundo Garces, Rodrigo Holgado, Imanol Machuca and Gabriel Palmero – after irregularities were found in their registration paperwork before the Harimau Malaya’s Asian Cup qualifiers against Vietnam in June.
