KUALA LUMPUR, April 25 — The clash between Johor Darul Ta’zim (JDT) and Sri Pahang FC in this Saturday’s Malaysia Cup Final at Bukit Jalil National Stadium will be a nostalgic affair, marking a rematch of the 2014 final that saw Pahang lift the trophy on penalties.
Pahang won that encounter 5-3 after both teams were deadlocked at 2-2 at the end of regulation play. Since then, JDT have gone on to win the Cup four times (2017, 2019, 2022, and 2023), while Sri Pahang haven’t reached the final since 2014.
JDT’s path to the final was nothing short of emphatic, demolishing Kuala Lumpur Rovers 9-0 on aggregate over two legs in the round-of-16, before sweeping past Kuala Lumpur City 6-1 in the quarterfinals and Terengganu 6-1 in the semifinals.
In contrast, Sri Pahang had to dig deep, edging Selangor 3-2 in the round-of-16, surviving Perak 4-3 in the quarterfinals, and outlasting Sabah 3-2 after extra time in the semifinals.
All eyes will be on JDT’s lethal Brazilian duo Bergson Gustavo, 34, and Heberty Fernandes, 36, both of whom lead the tournament’s scoring charts with six goals each.
Bergson, who scored 32 goals across all competitions this season, secured the Super League golden boot and broke his own previous record of 29 goals set in 2022.
He came close to surpassing Indra Putra Mahyuddin’s all-time Super League record of 106 goals but fell just one short.
Sri Pahang will be banking on right-winger Manuel Hidalgo, 25, who has four goals in the competition in five appearances. The Argentinian joined Sri Pahang last year and has scored three goals and provided three assists in the Super League.
Sri Pahang, fondly known as Tok Gajah (The Elephants), finished in eighth place in the Malaysia Super League, winning seven matches, drawing eight, and losing nine while scoring 35 goals and conceding 39. They finished with a goal difference of -4.
JDT, on the other hand, were crowned 2024/25 Super League champions by amassing 70 points from 23 wins, one draw, and undefeated. This is their 11th consecutive Super League title, having won every year since 2014.
This season, JDT scored 90 goals and conceded a mere eight goals, finishing the season with a whopping +82 goal difference from second-placed Selangor, who had 16 wins, four draws, and four losses.
Selangor scored 44 goals, conceded 16 goals, and finished the season with a +28 goal difference.
This will be JDT’s third consecutive Malaysia Cup final appearance, and they are aiming for a hat-trick of wins, having beaten Selangor 2-1 in 2022 and Terengganu 3-1 in last year’s final.
The final will take place at Bukit Jalil National Stadium on April 26 at 9pm.
Fun Fact: Safiq Rahim, 37, and Mohd Izham Tarmizi Roslan, 34, are the only players remaining from JDT’s 2014 Malaysia Cup final squad still with the club today.
Bergson will be looking to score in three consecutive final appearances after scoring one goal in each of the last two finals.
The date for this year’s Malaysia Cup Final was pushed to the 26th from its original date of April 12 after the Malaysian Football League (MFL) announced that the 98th edition final had been changed following reconsideration, after receiving an official application from Sri Pahang FC and agreement from Johor Darul Ta’zim (JDT).
According to both teams, fans had hoped the date of the final would be moved to allow them more time to plan their trips to the National Stadium, as the original date was close to the Hari Raya period.
Tticket sales have been slower than usual, but tens of thousands of fans are still expected to descend on the 85,000-capacity stadium this Saturday, packing the carparks and surrounding roads.
JDT Supporters’ Club deputy president Fadzli Sapie reportedly said interest was not as high as before because there was no archrival in the final.
“If the opponents were Selangor, I’m sure the tickets would sell like hot cakes. This isn’t meant to belittle Sri Pahang,” he was quoted as saying by Reuters.
