KUALA LUMPUR: Kuala Lumpur have advanced to the Malaysia Cup quarter-finals after beating Perak 3-2 on aggregate in the round of 16.
After losing the first-leg 0-2, the City Boys fought back against the Seladang by taking them down 3-0 at the Cheras Football Stadium here on Sunday (Jan 24).
In the first half, Kuala Lumpur, who were the 2021 Malaysia Cup winners, dominated possession and had the most attacking chances, but Perak’s defence proved resolute with their defense.
At the start of the second half, the home side piled on the pressure and were rewarded with a penalty but it was an agonising five-minute wait as the match referee Razlan Joffri Ali took a long time to decide whether Perak Nigerian centreback Aliyu Abubakar fouled midfielder Ryan Lambert inside the box.
Winger Safawi Rasid coolly buried from the spot in the 54th minute, with Kuala Lumpur needing two more goals to get a spot in the next round.
But the away side led by former national player Syamsul Saad continued to frustrate the City Boys with their defensive work led by captain and centreback Kamal Arif Azrai Shakimar.
But that was undone when Kuala Lumpur captain Paulo Josue curled in a left-footed freekick from just the edge of the penalty box to give his side a 2-0 lead in injury time.
With the aggregate tied at 2-2, the game entered extra time as both sides looked for a winner with Kuala Lumpur getting it.
Substitute winger Nicolao Dumitru headed a cross from Zhafri in the dying minutes of the first extra time.
That goal proved to be the winner as Kuala Lumpur will now take on Terengganu in the quarter-finals.
