PETALING JAYA: Johor Darul Ta’zim’s (JDT) were made to wait till the last minute to get a winner after beating Negri Sembilan 1-0 in a tense Super League match at the Tuanku Abdul Rahman Stadium in Paroi on Friday (Jan 9).
Argentinian winger Manuel Hidalgo proved to be the supersub for the Southern Tigers after rising high to head a cross from Spanish wingback Oscar Arribas in injury time.
The win sees them extending their remarkable winning streak to 31 since August 2024.
Their unbeaten streak in the league stretches back to April 2021 and now stands at an astonishing 98 matches.
The match was played at a frenetic tempo, with robust challenges flying in from both sides and referee S. Logeswaran kept busy throughout the evening.
Several controversial moments arose, particularly involving JDT centreback Eddy Israfilov.
In the 43rd minute, he appeared to raise his elbow on Negri Sembilan’s Ghanaian striker Joseph Esso just outside the penalty area, seemingly denying him a clear run into the box.
However, the referee waved away the protests when the Negri players asked why he was not sent-off.
Later, in the 75th minute, Israfilov again courted controversy when he looked to have deliberately body-checked Negri’s Bosnian winger Jovan Motika, but play was allowed to continue.
JDT created numerous scoring opportunities, with striker Bergson da Silva coming closest in the 52nd minute, only for his effort to be ruled offside.
Despite JDT’s dominance, the home side showed tremendous passion and resilience to contain the mighty Southern Tigers, only to be undone in the end.
JDT remain top of the league with 40 points from 14 matches, while Negri are sixth with 18 points from 13 games.
Meanwhile, in Kota Kinabalu, Kuala Lumpur and Sabah were tied 1-1 at the Likas Stadium.
Kuala Lumpur’s mercurial winger Safawi Rasid opened the scoring in the 50th minute, but the Rhinos fought back through Bosnian striker Ajdin Mujagic in the 67th minute.
The City Boys remain second in the league with 29 points from 14 matches, while Sabah are eighth with 14 points from 13 games.
