No home crowd, no oomph for JDT

Playing behind closed doors is never ideal for home teams in football. And Johor Darul Ta’zim (JDT), who normally enjoy the support of an almost packed Sultan Ibrahim Stadium, came out short without fans as they dropped points for the first time in the Super League.

All matches in the M-League on Saturday were played without spectators due to the Covid-19 outbreak. The league will be postponed indefinitely from today.

JDT, who won their opening three matches, scored first against Felda United through Syafiq Ahmad in the 21st minute.

However, Nidzam Jamil’s men fought back with Gabonese midfielder Frederic Bulot netting the equaliser in the 51st minute for a 1-1 draw.

It was a frustrating night for JDT as they even failed to convert from the penalty spot when Gonzalo Cabrera’s attempt was saved by Felda goalkeeper Muhaimin Mohamad.

And whether playing behind closed doors without JDT fans gave his side the confidence, Nidzam said: “The atmosphere was a bit strange. It was so quiet. It was a new experience for my players. Maybe, it affected JDT, but I can’t really say as we had also worked hard to prepare for this match.

“For some clubs, fans are important. Of course, we did not feel the added pressure yesterday as there were no JDT fans.

“Any team who take points from JDT in their backyard will be happy. However, it does not mean we should be feeling very excited. Frankly, JDT controlled 70 per cent of the match. We need to work harder,” said Nidzam.

Nidzam also praised his keeper, Muhaimin for his splendid performance in the match.

“We did our homework and drilled Muhaimin accordingly on how to defend JDT’s set-pieces and penalties. He read everything yesterday (Saturday).

JDT coach Benjamin Mora was not very happy.

“It was not a good night for JDT. We do not like to draw or lose here but of course, there is always a possibility of dropping points if we do not perform.

“My players controlled the game and did a good job collectively. However, they did not score more goals. The team have to be more efficient and productive,” said the Mexican.

Despite the draw, JDT still lead the standings with 10 points while Felda have collected five points.

In the Premier League, Kelantan United coach Zahasmi Ismail admitted that his team felt weird playing without fans in the 3-0 thrashing of Negri Sembilan at the Sultan Mohd IV Stadium in Kota Baru on Saturday.

“It felt funny without fans today. It’s not nice, because football needs the public for the atmosphere around it.

“Today, my players were not really motivated but we still won thanks to our Gambian play-maker Alfusainey Gassama, who controlled every aspect of our game,” said Zahasmi.

Khairul Izuan Rosli (20th), Gassama (53rd) and Fakhrul Zaman Wan Abdullah Zawawi (63rd) netted for Kelantan United.

Following the win, Kelantan United are second in the standings with nine points while Terengganu FC II lead on 10 points.

RESULTS: Super League — Sabah 2 Perak 2, Melaka 0 Pahang 1, JDT 1 Felda Utd 1;

Premier League — Sarawak Utd 1 KL 2, Kelantan Utd 3 Negri 0, Selangor II 2 Perak II 1, Penang 0 Kuching 0.