ISKANDAR PUTERI, Feb 14 -- Johor Darul Ta'zim (JDT) may have handed Melaka FC a thrashing in their Malaysia Cup quarter-finals, first-leg match yesterday, but Southern Tigers head coach Xisco Munoz insists "the job is far from finished”.
This is despite JDT hammering Melaka FC 5-0 at the Sultan Ibrahim Stadium here, with Ajdin Mujagic bagging a hat-trick before Manuel Hidalgo and Marcos Guilherme chipped in with one apiece.
Munoz emphasised that the team must continue to fight while maintaining respect for their opponents, who will be at home in the return leg on Feb 25.
“We need to fight, and I am sure we have great respect for our opponents. We will try to perform at our best level and give our best in the return leg,” he said at the post-match press conference here last night.
Munoz reiterated that the Southern Tigers take every match as part of their ongoing development process, noting that improvement remains a core objective within the club’s playing philosophy.
He also praised his players for their performance, especially hat-trick hero Mujagic.
Munoz added that the victory also serves as a timely boost ahead of JDT’s Feb 17 clash with Vissel Kobe in the AFC Champions League Elite at Sultan Ibrahim Stadium.
Meanwhile, Melaka FC coach E. Elavarasan has urged his team to forget about last night's defeat and to focus on the return-leg tie against the defending champions.
He also called on his men to raise their performance when they entertain the defending champions, who he described as the best team in the Super League, in the return leg at home on Feb 25.
"It won't be easy for us to bounce back, not when we are facing such a strong team. For now, we only have to admit that we lost to a better team, and reset our focus for the next game,” he said.
-- BERNAMA
