PETALING JAYA: Johor Darul Ta’zim (JDT) head coach Xisco Munoz admitted his team got a “kick in the face” after their dream of a perfect season was shattered by Terengganu on Saturday.
The Southern Tigers, who were four wins away from completing a perfect season, were forced to settle for a 1-1 draw at the Sultan Ibrahim Stadium by Terengganu.
Munoz was blunt with his remarks after the match as he was disappointed that his men did not capitalise on their goal-scoring opportunities.
“Sometimes it’s good when we get a kick in our faces. It’s like a wake-up call,” said Munoz.
“We need to wake up and focus better to end our Super League season well.”
JDT had won all their 20 matches so far this season before meeting Terengganu, and their last league draw came last season when Police held them 1-1 in July 2024.
“I’m disappointed with the result. The game wasn’t good. We had chances to score more goals and kill the game, but that didn’t happen.
“We weren’t lucky in some situations, but we are here to improve. We tried to get a perfect season because it was a very good challenge, but we did not make it.
“We need to learn from our mistakes and move forward, nothing more.”
JDT scored first through Bergson da Silva in the 23rd minute, before Terengganu’s Ehson Panjshanbe equalised in the 36th minute, much to the disappointment of JDT fans.
Meanwhile, Terengganu interim coach Tengku Hazman Raja Hassan said the draw was a blessing as JDT’s goal-scoring power was not on full display during the match.
“We were lucky during the match because JDT had many opportunities but failed to convert them.
“We had many chances as well throughout the match but overall, I’m satisfied with how the team played,” said Hazman.
He also praised goalkeeper Rahadiazli Rahalim, whose show-stopping abilities came through for the team.
“Our goalkeeper just recovered from an injury and carried out his duty as our last line of defence well.
“He has shown that he is back to being our first keeper,” he said.
