PETALING JAYA: Johor Darul Ta'zim's Charity Shield triumph on Friday helped them set a new world record but also highlighted the club's growing reliance on mixed heritage and naturalised talent.
The Southern Tigers' 3-0 win over Kuching City at the Sultan Ibrahim Stadium stretched their unbeaten league run to 109 games since 2021 – eclipsing the 32-year-old world record of 108 held by Ivorian club ASEC Mimosas set in 1994.
JDT's Spanish coach Xisco Munoz fielded mixed heritage players Brad Tapp and Nacho Mendez alongside naturalised striker Bergson Da Silva in the first XI, with all three goals coming from foreigners.
He defended the reliance on naturalised and mixed heritage talent by drawing a comparison with Spain's footballing evolution.
"Spain's national team started doing this 20 years ago, bringing in players to help raise standards, and it worked,'' said Munoz.
''Bergson deserves his passport – I believe he is one of the best strikers we can call on for the national team right now."
Munoz, however, added that naturalisation should not come at the expense of local development.
"It's just as important that our young players push themselves to reach the top level. Clubs need to invest more in academies and give young players better facilities. That is exactly what Spain did over the last 10 to 15 years," he said.
He also attributed JDT's success to the club's long-term project under owner and Johor Regent Tunku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim.
"Twelve years ago, when the owner took over the club, he improved it and grew every sport in Johor. To arrive at this stage shows just how difficult that journey was," Munoz added.
Against Kuching City, JDT broke the deadlock in the 11th minute when Marcos Guilherme burst into the box, exchanged a one-two with Da Silva before curling a fine finish past Kuching goalkeeper Haziq Nadzli.
They doubled their lead in the 55th minute as Dejan Petrovic picked out an unmarked Oscar Arribas, who thumped a venomous toe-poke past Haziq from inside the box.
Substitute Shahab Zayedi completed the rout in the 86th minute, latching onto a through ball from captain Arif Aiman Hanapi to slot home.
