KUCHING: Johor Darul Ta’zim (JDT) head coach Munoz Llompart Francisco Javier has said his side were made to work hard to secure all three points in their 1-0 victory over Kuching City FC at the Sarawak State Stadium last night (Aug 24).
“They gave 200 per cent in that match, and we can also say Kuching gave 100 per cent,” said Munoz after the game.
His team managed only a single goal despite Kuching being reduced to 10 men following Yuki Tanigawa’s red card for a foul on Joao Figueiredo.
Speaking at the post-match press conference, the Spaniard acknowledged that Kuching were a tough team, praising their resilience and intensity, which made life difficult for the reigning champions.
“They were very aggressive, had intensity, and controlled the pitch well.
“Their tempo was also very good, and that certainly made things difficult for us,” he said.
Munoz added that Kuching’s strong performance in front of their home crowd underlined their growing competitiveness in the league.
The decisive moment came in the 60th minute when Jairo De Macedo Da Silva finally broke the deadlock with a well-taken header, meeting Figueiredo’s delivery to beat the resolute Kuching defence.
Kuching will next travel to Negeri Sembilan for an eagerly awaited fixture this Friday (Aug 29) at 9 pm.
