SHAH ALAM: Perak were crowned champions of the Malaysia Cup 2018 after beating Terengganu FC (TFC) 4-1 in the penalty shootout after a 3-3 draw in the final at the Shah Alam Stadium tonight. In a stadium packed to the brim with supporters from both sides, Perak goalkeeper Muhammad Hafizul Hakim Jothy emerged the hero, saving the opponents’ first two spot kicks, earning Perak its eighth title. TFC and Perak met in the Malaysian Cup finals after 17 years which brought back memories of their classic encounters in 1998 and 2001.
Terengganu FC entered the final through a 3-2 aggregate win over defending champions Johor Darul Ta’zim while Perak advanced after thrashing Sabah 7-2 over two-legs of the semi-final. Perak lifted the Malaysia Cup in 1998, winning 5-3 in the penalty shootout following a 1-1 draw. Terengganu FC (known as Terengganu in 2001) were crowned champions in 2001 after defeating Perak 2-1 in the match at the Bukit Jalil National Stadium.
TFC went ahead just 48 seconds into the match after star striker Kipre Tchetche latched onto a loose ball following a poor back-pass by Perak midfielder Mohamad Idris Ahmad. The aggressive atmosphere of the match, coupled with referee Suresh Jayaraman’s decision to award many advantages and allowing the game to continue, resulted in a flurry of attacks in both directions.
At the end of the first half, Perak’s poor attempt to get the ball out of its half resulted in an interception by TFC midfielder Abdul Malik Mat Arif who passed it to Kipre, and the Ivorian made no mistake in doubling the lead, helping himself to a brace in the process.
The second half saw the resurgence of Mehmet Durakovic’s men who came flying out of the blocks to halve the lead through Muhammad Firdaus Saiyadi’s strike in the 46th minute. After the goal, the match which was attended by 78,783 spectators became tensed with several incidents on the pitch, which eventually led to red cards for Perak striker Gilmar da Silva (58th minutes) and TFC’s Lee Andrew Tuck (66th minute).
As supporters from the East Coast were jubilantly celebrating their lead and what seemed to be an imminent victory, The Bos Gaurus squad pulled off a stunning comeback as Brendan Gan’s solid shot into the back of the net dragged the match into extra time. TFC once again went ahead as Mohd Faiz scored a screamer in the 96th minute but an own-goal by Igor Zonjic in the last minute of the game forced the penalty shootout.
The 1998 Malaysian Cup final came back to haunt the TFC side as Irfan Bakti’s men fell to a 1-4 defeat in the shootout.-Bernama
