KUALA LUMPUR: For Xisco Munoz, his first season in Malaysia and Asia could hardly have gone any better after guiding Johor Darul Ta’zim (JDT) to an unprecedented fourth straight quadruple.
On Saturday, the Southern Tigers etched their names deeper into Malaysian football folklore after defeating Kuching City 2-0 in the Malaysia Cup final at the National Stadium in Bukit Jalil.
The victory secured JDT’s sixth Malaysia Cup crown and made them the first club in the country to win the competition four years in a row.
It also completed another clean sweep of domestic honours after retaining the Super League, FA Cup and Charity Shield titles.
Munoz, who arrived with a strong reputation from Europe, said the achievement reflected the mentality and commitment of his players throughout a gruelling campaign.
“This is the first club in Malaysia to win four cups in a row. It is important to build something special as nobody gives you anything for free,’’ said Munoz.
JDT, however, were made to work hard for the triumph by a spirited Kuching side.
The Cats frustrated the defending champions for long periods and nearly stunned them after being awarded a penalty in the 60th minute when La’vere Corbin-Ong brought down Ramadhan Saifullah. But Ramadhan failed to capitalise, dragging his spot-kick wide.
Munoz admitted his side struggled to find rhythm early on as Kuching targeted the flanks and defended deep in a compact 5-4-1 shape.
“The first half was very balanced, but in the second half we had more control,” said Munoz.
“It is difficult to play against a team that sit deep and looks for counterattacks. We needed to take risks and find solutions during the game.”
JDT finally broke the deadlock in the 80th minute when Brazilian winger Bergson da Silva released Marcus Guilherme, who produced a composed finish from the left.
National winger Arif Aiman Hanapi then marked his return from injury in style by curling home a superb effort from outside the box in stoppage time to seal the win.
