KUALA LUMPUR: If in other parts of the world, the Charity Shield is considered by many to be entertainment apart from being the season opener for league action between the league champions and the FA Cup winners.
However the situation differs here in the Malaysia League (M-League) competition, as the Charity Shield is an exciting encounter which is part of league action, and the three points up for grabs makes it a keenly contested affair between the two teams eager to lift the Charity Shield trophy for a positively good start to the season.
For the new season, the curtain raiser takes place a day after league action commences, where five consecutive time Super League champions Johor Darul Ta’zim (JDT) face Malaysia Cup champions Perak.
On paper, and in reality, it is hard to deny the fact that JDT are hot favourites to lift the Charity Shield that they also won last season, especially since that match will take place at their home of Larkin Stadium, and the Southern Tigers have been a dominant, all-conquering force in the league for the past five seasons’.
It is a different story with Perak, as even though The Bos Gaurus team are a formidable side with a rich footballing history, they only have the Malaysia Cup trophy that they lifted last season after narrowly beating Terengganu on penalties to show for in terms of silverware won during the last couple of seasons.
When it comes to the head-to-head record between the two sides, it is understandable why Perak fans might be concerned as their team have never won a match against JDT at Larkin Stadium since 2013, and their last victory against the southern giants was back in 2012 when JDT were still known as Johor FC.
With JDT’s exemplary record against Perak at the Larkin Stadium, Mehmet Durakovic’s charges will need more than just luck and good fortune to tame the Southern Tigers in their own lair.
However, football is a sport where just about anything can happen and there have been times when things did not go according to script where the unfancied team were able to pull off a stunning upset to inflict an embarrassing defeat on the favourites.
JDT are probably still reeling from the stunning upset pulled off by MIFA (now known as Petaling Jaya City) at the Larkin Stadium in the first Malaysia Cup match last season when they were shocked 2-1 by their unfancied opponents .
Perhaps the Malaysia Cup is not a priority for JDT as at the time the Southern Tigers seemed to put more emphasis on the league title, though a defeat is still a defeat nonetheless, and MIFA’s unexpected win will be talked about for a long time to come.
If MIFA could upset the five-time Super League champions, there is no reason why Perak will not be able to do so as well as the Malaysia Cup champions have top, good quality players in their ranks, and the Charity Shield is just one of 22 matches that will take place during the duration of the league for the new season.
Whether the script goes as expected or if a stunning upset happens tonight (Saturday), everyone hopes that the match is a thrilling and exciting one without controversy which is enjoyed by football fans all across the country.