PETALING JAYA: Johor Darul Ta’zim’s (JDT) wonder winger Arif Aiman Hanapi is always hungry for goals.
And he was no different yesterday in the Southern Tigers’ AFC Champions League (ACL) Elite group match against Thai club Port at the Sultan Ibrahim Stadium.
The 24-year-old, as usual, was a constant menace to the opponents but did not get on the scoresheet in JDT’s 3-0 win.
Arif was also made captain of the team by coach Xisco Munoz, as regular skipper Natxo Insa did not start.
While he wished that he had been among the goal scorers, Arif could take heart after giving a superb all-round performance - one worthy of a captain.
“I wanted to score, but the goal just didn’t come. But I look at the important overall picture - we got the win. That is what matters most,” said Arif.
“In this competition, we want to win every game and go even higher as a team. We have five games to go in the league stage, so we want to keep this momentum.”
In a match which JDT dominated, Arif had his best chance to score in the 21st minute, firing wide with his left foot.
Six minutes later, he saw his powerful right-footed shot saved by Port’s Filipino goalkeeper Michael Falkesgaard.
Arif troubled the Port defence again on a counter-attack in the 40th minute, but fullback Chaiyaphon Otton tracked him superbly to close the space and stopped him from taking a lethal shot.
JDT only broke the deadlock after half-time through Argentinian wingback Jonathan Silva in the 53rd minute.
The 22-year-old Silva received a pass from Arif and drilled a shot from the centre of the penalty box into the bottom left corner.
Veteran striker Bergson Da Silva, who came on as a substitute in the 57th minute, needed just seven minutes to make his mark.
The 35-year-old headed in Oscar Arribas’ cross, which deflected off Port defender Peerawat Akkratum and wrong-footed Falkesgaard.
Bergson celebrated passionately by removing his jersey and was booked. The mercurial forward then went off in the 65th minute with an apparent injury, and was replaced by Spanish striker Juan Molina Martinez.
Martinez, better known as Stoichkov, sealed the win in the 85th minute, finishing off a pass from fellow substitute and Spanish winger Matias Nahuel.
The result leaves JDT with seven points from three matches, and they remain unbeaten in the competition.
