JDT's Victory Inspires Selangor To Pursue First ACL 2 Win

PETALING JAYA, Oct 2 (Bernama) -- Selangor FC aim to emulate the success of Johor Darul Ta'zim (JDT) as they prepare to host Philippine club Dynamic Herb Cebu FC in their second Group H match of the Asian Football Confederation Champions League 2 (ACL 2) 2024/25 here, tomorrow night.

Its head coach Nidzam Jamil said the Red Giants want to achieve positive results like those earned by other teams, such as JDT and the national team, as this would further elevate the prestige of local football.

“Talking about ACL, it’s a good sign for Malaysian clubs to show good results in international tournaments. We also want to follow whatever good results have been achieved, not only by JDT but also by our national team because it helps improve our national football.

"So yes, we are really happy because JDT and us are participating at the highest level of Asian football, with JDT in ACL Elite and us in ACL 2,” he said at a pre-match press conference against Dynamic Herb Cebu at the Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ) Stadium here, today.

He was asked whether JDT's victory in the AFC Champions League Elite (ACL Elite) 2024/25 yesterday had inspired Selangor to also aim for three points here.

The Southern Tigers created a sensation after securing their first win in the ACL Elite by defeating China representative Shanghai Shenhua FC 3-0 in a Group A match at the Sultan Ibrahim Stadium in Iskandar Puteri, Johor.

Nidzam said Selangor are not affected by the results of other teams and always have their way of achieving victory.

"We are Selangor, we are not affected by other results, we have our path, and tomorrow’s match is decided by our own hands. We don’t want to put unnecessary pressure and just concentrate on ourselves," he said.

Meanwhile, Selangor captain Muhammad Safuwan Baharudin said team motivation is at its best, especially after securing an important 1-0 away win against Terengganu in the Super League match last Saturday.

"I should say the motivation is good. I think we had a good few games before this game, and the good thing about us is we are playing in a few different competitions. We have good squad depth, and that is also a key strength in our team," said the 33-year-old Singapore national player.

For the record, Selangor drew 1-1 with Thailand's Muangthong United, while Dynamic Herb Cebu suffered a 0-6 thrashing to South Korean club Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors in their respective first group match.

So far, Selangor have maintained a 100 per cent winning record at home in all competitions this season, which serves as a strong motivation in their mission to collect their first three points tomorrow.

-- BERNAMA