ASEAN Club C'ship: Munoz Praises His Men After 3-1 Win Over Lion City Sailors

ISKANDAR PUTERI, Aug 21 (Bernama) – Johor Darul Ta’zim (JDT) head coach Xisco Munoz praised his players for delivering an impressive performance after defeating Lion City Sailors (LCS) 3-1 in their opening Group B match of the ASEAN Club Championship at Sultan Ibrahim Stadium here tonight.

He said the Southern Tigers managed to control the match, especially in the first half, noting that the players capitalised on their chances to secure all three points in front of their home supporters.

“The players gave an amazing performance in the first 45 minutes to control the game. We scored a goal and created important chances.

“All I can say today is congratulations to the players for delivering a very good performance with what they had,” he said during a post-match press conference.

He added that the victory was the result of teamwork and commitment on the pitch, while reminding the players to maintain the same standard in the coming matches.

JDT’s victory was secured through two goals, including a penalty, from Joao Vitor Brandao Figueredo and one from Arif Aiman Mohd Hanapi.

The opening victory puts the 11-time consecutive Super League champions at the top of Group B with three points, level with Cambodia’s Svay Rieng who edged Myanmar’s Shan United 1-0 in another fixture.

JDT will face Bangkok United in their second group match at the same venue on Sept 25.

Meanwhile, LCS head coach Aleksandar Rankovic urged his players to bounce back in their next match.

“We have to bounce back and recover quickly because this was a tough match (against JDT) and the next one will be a completely different kind of challenge in the competition,” he said.

At the same time, he said the penalty in the 11th minute also affected his players momentum.

However, he praised the determination and effort shown by his players tonight.

-- BERNAMA