KUALA LUMPUR: The simple fact of the matter, according to Safiq Rahim, is that Johor Darul Ta’zim are the best team in the country.
JDT won the Malaysia Cup for the first time with a 2-0 win over Kedah in the final at the Shah Alam Stadium yesterday, and Safiq had a simple explanation for their success.
“We are the best,” he said, as he savoured his and the club’s first Malaysia Cup triumph.
Having won four consecutive Super League titles and the FA Cup in 2016, few could contradict JDT captain Safiq’s proclamation.
“We know our strengths and we play our own game,” said the midfielder whose third-minute corner-kick was headed in by Aidil Zafuan Radzak for the opening oal.
“We are the best at the moment, in my opinion. A lot of people think negatively of us but no matter what people say we are one team and one family. Going forward, we need this spirit to continue in order to achieve success.”
After suffering Malaysia Cup final disappointment with Selangor in 2008 and Darul Ta’zim in 2014, Safiq was finally able to lift the trophy aloft yesterday.
“I am grateful to have won my first Malaysia Cup and also the club’s first,” he said. “It’s a dream of every player to create such history.
“I want to thank the entire JDT family from the owner Tunku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim to the staff and players who gave their all this season from the best to the worst parts.
“Domestically, I have won everything but I want to achieve more for the club and myself. I won’t stop here and will strive to improve myself.”
Safiq said he knew the game was far from over despite Aidil scoring so early and even when Gonzalo Cabrera doubled the lead an hour later, he feared a reaction from Kedah.
“For as long as the final whistle had not blown, we had to keep our focus,” he said.
“In football, things can change in two minutes so we needed to maintain our momentum and try to get a second goal which we did.”
Just before Cabrera scored, however, Darul Ta’zim suffered an injury crisis when Gary Steven Robbat and Aidil had to go off in the space of three minutes, with Afiq Fazail and Junior Eldstal coming on.
But coach Ulisses Morais was not unduly concerned with having to make the sudden changes.
“We have good replacements and we know we can cope with that,” said Morais.