Johor Darul Ta’zim (JDT) extended their strong start to the Malaysia Super League season with a 3-0 victory over Brunei at the Sultan Ibrahim Stadium in Iskandar Puteri on Friday. The win marked JDT’s fourth league triumph of the campaign, with naturalised Brazilian striker Bergson da Silva scoring twice in quick succession before Spanish winger Juan Diego Molina, commonly known as Stoichkov, sealed the result in the 89th minute.
Despite the comfortable scoreline, JDT head coach Xisco Munoz expressed frustration over his team’s overall performance, emphasizing the need for greater ruthlessness and precision in attack. Munoz highlighted the challenges posed by a well-organized Brunei side that maintained a disciplined low-block defensive structure throughout the match. “It was difficult to break them down before the first goal,” he said, noting the importance of patience and relying on individual creativity to navigate tight spaces and lateral channels. “They defended their low block well, moved compactly, and maintained good distance between players.”
Munoz acknowledged the victory but insisted on the necessity of continual improvement, particularly in the final third. “We still need to improve and be more aggressive when attacking down the flanks,” he added.
The coach was notably critical of recent defensive lapses by his team, which had also troubled him in their FA Cup round-of-16 first-leg match against Universiti Malaya-Damansara, a 4-1 win three days prior. Munoz condemned any signs of complacency regardless of the match situation or margin of victory. “I was very, very angry about conceding recently because it stemmed from a relaxed mentality. Whether you are playing in a cup or the league, or winning 5-0, 8-0 or 12-0, you must maintain the exact same behaviour and commitment to the team,” he stated. “Everyone makes mistakes, but we cannot repeat the same ones.”
On the other side, Brunei assistant coach Helme Panjang took a constructive view despite the defeat. He praised his players for their overall progress but acknowledged that their inability to retain possession hampered their offensive efforts. “Our main shortfall was ball retention. The team needed to keep possession for longer stretches to transition forward and build opportunities to create scoring chances,” Helme remarked.
JDT will look to leverage this victory as they continue to pursue their title defense, while Brunei aims to address ball control issues as they face upcoming fixtures.