KL shift focus back to Super League after Malaysia Cup exit

PETALING JAYA: Kuala Lumpur head coach Miroslav Kuljanac didn’t have high hopes heading into the second leg of the Malaysia Cup quarter-finals against Johor Darul Ta’zim (JDT), but walking away with a 0-4 loss was not expected on Saturday.

The City Boys, who were missing several key players in the squad, fell to the Southern Tigers and were knocked out of the competition with a 1-6 aggregate.

This was the third time Kuljanac had to face JDT this month, and he had to endure a third straight defeat to the four-time Malaysia Cup winners.

“I had to rest Giancarlo Gallifuoco for the match because he was injured against Negri Sembilan, so I had to follow the doctor’s advice for his own good, even though he wanted to play,” said Kuljanac.

“Ryan Lambert is also not in the squad as he had Covid-19. So we had to field the players that we had, including the youngsters.

“It wasn’t easy for them but I am satisfied with their performance as they played their hearts out and had given them experience moving forward,” he said.

The City Boys were also left without the services of Paulo Josue, Haqimi Rosli, and Declan Lambert, who had just completed their duties with the national team for the AFF Cup.

During the match at the Sultan Ibrahim Stadium in Johor, the Southern Tigers opened the scoring sheet in the 35th minute after Nabil Hakim Bokhair gave Arif Aiman Hanapi a penalty, followed by an injury-time goal from Bergson Da Silva.

The second half was still unlucky for Kuala Lumpur as they conceded another penalty through Da Silva in the 56th minute.

Juan Muniz Gallego then sealed the win six minutes later with a stunning long-range shot.

Kuala Lumpur will be shifting their focus back to the Super League, where a tough match against Selangor awaits them on Jan 12, after taking on Singapore’s Lion City Sailors in the AFF Club Championship on Jan 9.

Meanwhile, JDT head coach Hector Bidoglio commended his players for putting pressure on Kuala Lumpur, but reminded the team to be on their toes.

“We kept trying to press them and we played aggressively with high intensity. The players played well.

“But it is important for us to continue playing as a compact, aggressive, and dynamic outfit,” he said. JDT will take on Terengganu in the Malaysia Cup semi-finals as they play the first leg on Jan 17 and the second leg on Feb 1.