Malaysia Cup Final Labeled as One-Sided

The Malaysia Cup final is approaching its climax as the finalists have been confirmed, with defending champions Johor Darul Ta’zim (JDT) set to face four-time winners Sri Pahang FC (SPFC).

The Southern Tigers have reached the prestigious final for the fifth consecutive time, while the Tok Gajah squad makes their first appearance in over a decade, with their last final in 2014.

Interestingly, the final on April 26 will be a repeat of the 2014 edition, where SPFC stunned JDT with a 5-3 victory in a penalty shootout after a 2-2 draw in 120 minutes of play.

However, more than a decade later, a déjà vu moment where SPFC inflicts the same “tragedy” on JDT seems highly unlikely, especially given how far ahead JDT has surged compared to SPFC.

Local football analyst Mohd Fauzi Pilus believes this year’s final is heavily one-sided, with all advantages favoring Hector Bidoglio’s squad.

“After a long time away from the Malaysia Cup final, this is a great achievement for SPFC. But on paper, they are the underdogs, and this is undoubtedly a one-sided final.

“There will never be an even match when facing JDT in a final, and we saw this happen with Selangor FC in the FA Cup final before this.

“JDT will also enter the match as the defending champions, so they will be determined to retain the trophy and avoid any surprises, like what happened against KL City in previous editions,” said Fauzi.

Despite this, Fauzi, who is also a former Technical Director of PDRM FC, expects this final to bring a different spectacle, even though an upset seems difficult, especially against a team of JDT’s caliber.

“SPFC may have beaten JDT in 2014, but that was a long time ago. The only thing that remains the same is the names of the two competing teams, but the players and game plans have completely changed.

“The quality of players, structure, and style of play have evolved significantly, but perhaps this final will be different from an ordinary match.

“The focus is on SPFC to see if they can pull off something that might alter the outcome of the final.

“Perhaps there is a strategy to trap JDT, but that will only work if they can overcome JDT’s tactical movements,” he added.