Tight till the end: Johor Darul Ta’zim’s Bergson Da Silva (right) vying for the ball with Negri Sembilan’s Kei Oshiro. Inset: Manuel Hidalgo. — Bernama
PETALING JAYA: Winger Manuel Hidalgo hit new heights with Johor Darul Ta’zim (JDT) when he turned match winner in the unlikeliest way in the 1-0 win over Negri Sembilan in the Super League on Friday.
The 26-year-old Argentinian came on as a substitute late in the second half and was only expected to create chances for top hitman Bergson da Silva to fire home.
But Hidalgo, who at 1.74m (5’8’’) was one of the smallest players on the pitch at the Tuanku Abdul Rahman Stadium, turned titan in stoppage time by rising above Negri’s Palestinian midfielder Oday Kharoub to power home a header off a cross by Spanish wingback Oscar Arribas.
He admitted he outdid himself by scoring the winner with a header as heading has never been his forte.
“To be honest, I’m not used to scoring with my head. It was pure instinct, and Oscar’s cross was perfect. It made it impossible to miss,” said Hidalgo, a former Sheffield Wednesday player who joined JDT from Pahang in 2024.
“I’m just so happy to help the team get the three points in a difficult match. It was a crazy game, especially in the final minutes.
‘’It was also an amazing effort from everyone until the last second.”
JDT coach Xisco Munoz said his side were unfortunate not to score earlier despite creating numerous chances.
“We were unlucky in the box. We created around 20 chances. The playing time was stopped several times, but we kept fighting until the end. These are the values we believe in, fighting and maintaining a winning mentality at all times,” said the Spaniard.
“We’ve now won 14 matches in a row and the three points are what matter.’’
As for Negri coach Nidzam Jamil, he chose not to dwell too much on the late goal although he questioned the extended stoppage time. Seven minutes had initially been indicated, but play continued beyond that.
“I don’t hold the whistle,” said Nidzam.
“I’m not sure why seven minutes were given but it went beyond that. The goal came around the 98th minute. Maybe our watches are different, I don’t know.”
