PETALING JAYA: Johor Darul Ta’zim’s (JDT) emphatic 5-0 win over Immigration on Saturday not only strengthened their grip at the top of the Super League but also marked a significant milestone as it was their 100th domestic league victory.
The Southern Tigers have now gone 100 Super League matches unbeaten since April 2021, recording an astonishing 92 wins and eight draws during that period.
The match at the Sultan Ibrahim Stadium in Iskandar Puteri saw Xisco Munoz’s men cruise past Immigration through goals from Joao Figueiredo in the 21st minute and an own goal by Vinicius Milani in the 59th minute.
Bergson da Silva scored twice, in the 61st minute and stoppage time, with Marcos Guilherme adding another in the 66th minute to cap a dominant home performance.
Munoz expressed satisfaction with the commitment and focus shown by his players.
“There are always ups and downs in a league, that’s normal but I’m happy. What is most important is that we stayed focused,” said Munoz.
“We have to continue working hard and try to improve our performances every single day.
JDT last tasted defeat in the Super League on April 24, 2021, when they lost 1-0 to Terengganu through a goal by Mohd Hakimi Abdullah.
Munoz also praised Figueiredo’s performance, noting that the forward still looked sharp as he found the back of the net despite not having played for some time following his suspension by FIFA.
Figueiredo, along with six other heritage players, were previously handed a 12 month suspension after being accused of involvement in a citizenship document fraud scandal. However, the Court of Arbitration for Sport allowed a stay of execution following an appeal filed by the seven national players.
“It is not easy for any player to regain consistency after a long layoff without competitive matches, but Joao has not looked back. The hard work he put in during training has paid off.
“In 12 appearances for JDT, if I am not mistaken, he has scored 11 goals and that is a positive development for him. Imagine if he, Arif Aiman who is still injured, Hector Hevel and Jon Irazabal were available throughout the league campaign. The team would be even stronger,” added Munoz.
