Malaysian Super League Preview: Johor Darul Ta’zim Set to Rotate Squad, Kuching City Suffered a Four-Goal Defeat in Last Round

On September 27 at 20:15, the 12th round of the Malaysian Super League will see Johor Darul Ta’zim host Kuching City at the Sultan Ibrahim Stadium.

Johor Darul Ta’zim secured an impressive 6-1 away victory over Kelantan in the 11th round of the Malaysian Super League on September 22. The team’s Brazilian striker, Bergson, comfortably completed a hat-trick, while local attacking player Arif Aiman also contributed two goals and one assist, turning the match into a personal showcase. In the AFC Champions League Elite Round match on September 18, Johor Darul Ta’zim drew 2-2 with the strong Shanghai Port away from home, leaving a deep impression on Asian football fans.

As the most financially powerful team in the Malaysian Super League, Johor Darul Ta’zim has maintained dominance in the domestic league since 2014, achieving ten consecutive championships. However, despite their geographical advantages, Johor Darul Ta’zim has been eager for success in continental competitions. They won the AFC Cup (the second-tier competition) in 2015 but have underperformed in subsequent AFC Champions League appearances.

Currently topping the Malaysian Super League table with nine wins and one draw, Johor Darul Ta’zim leads second-placed Selangor by six points. With only four days remaining before their AFC Champions League Elite Round home match against Shanghai Shenhua, Johor Darul Ta’zim head coach, Petric, boldly stated during the pre-match press conference, “I don’t deny that facing Kuching will be a tough game, but we will strive for victory. However, the AFC Champions League is more important for us, so I will rotate the squad for this league match. The specific lineup will be decided the day before the game as I need to stabilize the AFC Champions League roster.”

Kuching City, the visitors, are based in Kuching, the capital and a historic city in Sarawak. Despite their less-than-ideal financial situation, the club has maintained a “unity” building philosophy over the years, avoiding major scandals like those seen in Perak and Kedah. In the last league round, Kuching suffered a four-goal defeat to Selangor away from home. The Ghanaian center-forward Mintah, brought in from Terengganu at the start of the season, has not performed well, and Timorese naturalized player Pedro Enrique has scored only one goal in the league this season.

In the current Malaysian Super League standings, Kuching City sit fifth with three wins, five draws, and two losses, still far from the AFC Champions League qualification zone. This season, their primary goal remains avoiding relegation. Kuching City have shown a clear home-strong, away-weak trend, winning only once in their five away league matches. This match marks the start of two consecutive away games, which could dampen morale.

In terms of squad composition, Kuching City’s new signing Brown (Guyana international) has yet to make his debut. However, mixed-race Ghanaian defender Rodney Searle has been a key defensive player since joining Kuching this season. The versatile central defender may start in place of Jimmy Raymond, who performed poorly in the previous match.

In the last three encounters between the two teams, Johor Darul Ta’zim easily won all. With confirmed squad rotation for this round, Johor Darul Ta’zim’s competitiveness will be significantly reduced compared to recent matches. Can Kuching City, fresh off a defeat, rely on resilience to secure a result?

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