On target: JDT’s Romel Morales (left) scoring the seventh goal against Police. — Bernama
PETALING JAYA: Johor Darul Ta’zim (JDT) coach Xisco Munoz praised his players after they demolished Police 7–0 in their Super League clash at the Selayang Stadium on Sunday, a result that underlined the Southern Tigers’ strength in depth despite the absence of three suspended players.
The emphatic win kept JDT’s perfect start to the season intact, with seven victories in as many games.
But beyond the scoreline, what stood out for Munoz was his team’s attitude, composure and relentless drive, even without key figures Hector Hevel, Joao Figueiredo and Jon Irazabal due to FIFA’s 12-month bans.
“It was a very good performance. The level of the team was excellent, and I can only say congratulations to the players because they played very well,” said Munoz.
“We are improving our style, especially in attack as we created many chances. We could have scored even more.”
Winger Arif Aiman Hanapi stole the show, netting twice and assisting two more goals. The 23-year-old opened the scoring in the 28th minute after capitalising on a defensive error and added his second just four minutes later, finishing off a swift counter-attack led by wingback Oscar Arribas.
JDT’s dominance continued after the break as striker Bergson Da Silva struck early in the second half before centreback Eddy Israfilov curled in a stunning effort from distance.
Another striker Jairo Da Silva added two goals of his own, including a spectacular strike from a tight angle, while substitute striker Romel Morales got his name on the scoresheet to complete the rout.
“They weren’t easy opponents today,” said Munoz.
“The last time we played here, we dropped points, so we knew how difficult they could be.
“But we delivered a very good performance, and when the team are able to work well, we can push any opponents.”
The Spaniard refused to dwell on losing three key players to suspension.
“Our schedule is very tough; we’ve had a lot of games, and you all know how important those three players are for us,” he said.
“At the moment, we can’t use them, but we have a strong and deep squad to handle these situations.”
With 21 points from seven games and a remarkable 27 goal difference, JDT remain firmly on course to retain their Super League title and their dominance under Munoz shows no signs of slowing down.
