KUALA LUMPUR: Johor Darul Ta’zim (JDT) captain Jordi Amat believes the referee made the right call in not sending him off during his team’s 3-1 victory over Terengganu FC in the 2023 Malaysia Cup final at the National Stadium in Bukit Jalil, here, last night.
The Indonesia international insisted that his foul on Ivan Mamut in the penalty box was a normal challenge that happens a lot in matches, contrary to what many thought should have been a sending-off as it denied the Terengganu player a goal-scoring opportunity.
Referee S. Logeswaran only flashed Amat a yellow card for that challenge, which saw Mamut pick himself up to slot home the equaliser from the penalty spot in the first half.
“It’s right that it was just a yellow card, it’s normal. (In) football, there are lots of 50-50 challenges. I know Terengganu asked for that (red card)…it’s a final, so you have to give 100 per cent or more,” said the 31-year-old defender after the match.
Commenting on the match, he said although it was a difficult game, JDT deserved to be crowned as champions after playing with so much determination and courage throughout the 90 minutes.
Amat also expressed his pride in being part of the JDT squad, who are the only team with an unbeaten record in the 2023 Malaysia League so far, besides achieving a treble for the second season in a row.
“It’s something remarkable (without defeat), we are creating history, it’s amazing,” he said.
In last night’s final, Bergson Da Silva and Mamut’s penalty saw both teams troop the field at half-time tied at 1-1 before substitute Muhamad Feroz Baharudin’s header and Arif Aiman Mohd Hanapi’s penalty in the second half sealed JDT’s victory.
JDT, established in 2013, have now won the Malaysia Cup four times, having also triumphed in 2017, 2019 and 2022.–Bernama
