20/01/2026

SPORTS TUESDAY | JAN 20, 2026

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Munoz lauds JDT’s monster mentality

JOHOR DARUL TA’ZIM (JDT) head coach Xisco Munoz lauded his squad’s all-round performance after a commanding 10-1 victory over PDRM FC in the Malaysia Cup 2025/2026 at Stadium Sultan Ibrahim in Iskandar Puteri, Johor on Sunday night, with Teto Martin scoring a double hattrick in a historic first for the club. Munoz commended the team’s intensity and focus throughout the match, despite the absence of key players, including Arif Aiman, Joao Figueiredo, and Hector Hevel. “We started very well in this competition, and that’s a positive. Our players showed great mentality and character because they followed the game from start to finish,” he said in a post

“I can summarise that there were two performances. In the first half, we were punished with two early goals, but we still managed to balance JDT’s attacks and created a few moments where we retained possession and launched counterattacks. “However, in the second half, conceding two early goals shifted the momentum. Our players lost focus and morale, and most of the goals we conceded came from our own mistakes. That is why we were punished with such a heavy defeat today,” Eddy added. He also stressed the team’s intent to perform positively in future matches and plan the best approach for the upcoming game. – Bernama

Munoz also highlighted the importance of maintaining defensive discipline and underlined the squad’s depth and ambition. “I’m not disappointed we conceded one goal. What matters is focusing on these situations, learning from them, and improving. Even with Arif, Joao, and Hector absent, our squad remains strong. We need to continue with the same ambition and give our maximum every day,” he said. Meanwhile, PDRM FC assistant head coach Eddy Gapil acknowledged the challenges his team faced in the heavy defeat.

match press. He said Martin’s performance in today’s match marked a historic milestone for both the player and the club. “I think it’s the first time in the club’s history that he played as a forward. It’s very positive when you are working with the staff and the team and everybody achieves success. That’s the most important thing for me. “In a season, players have ups and downs; sometimes they play more minutes, sometimes less. The key is that whenever they get the opportunity, they give their best,” he added.

Aiming high Malaysia target 55 golds at Asean Para Games

RESULTS & STANDINGS

AFCON: (Final) : Senegal 1 (P. Gueye 94) Morocco 0 - aet

ENGLISH LEAGUE: Aston Villa 0 Everton 1 (Barry 59) , Wolves 0 Newcastle 0. P W D L F A Pts Arsenal 22 15 5 2 40 14 50 Man City 22 13 4 5 45 21 43 Aston Villa 22 13 4 5 33 25 43 Liverpool 22 10 6 6 33 29 36 Man Utd 22 9 8 5 38 32 35 Chelsea 22 9 7 6 36 24 34 Brentford 22 10 3 9 35 30 33 Newcastle 22 9 6 7 32 27 33 Sunderland 22 8 9 5 23 23 33 Everton 22 9 5 8 24 25 32 Fulham 22 9 4 9 30 31 31 Brighton 21 7 8 6 31 28 29 Palace 22 7 7 8 23 25 28 Tottenham 22 7 6 9 31 29 27 Bournemouth21 6 8 7 34 40 26 Leeds 22 6 7 9 30 37 25 Nottm Forest 22 6 4 12 21 34 22 West Ham 22 4 5 1324 44 17 Burnley 22 3 5 1423 42 14 Wolves 22 1 5 1615 41 8 LA LIGA: Getafe 0 Valencia 1 (Gaya 84) , Atletico Madrid 1 (Sorloth 48) Alaves 0, Celta Vigo 3 (Carreira 40, Zaragoza 54-pen, Rueda 79) Rayo Vallecano 0, Real Socie dad 2 (Oyarzabal 32, Guedes 71) Barcelona 1 (Rashford 70) . Top 6 P W D L F A Pts Barcelona 20 16 1 3 54 22 49 Real Madrid 20 15 3 2 43 17 48 Villarreal 19 13 2 4 37 19 41 Atleti 20 12 5 3 35 17 41 Espanyol 20 10 4 6 23 22 34 Real Betis 20 8 8 4 33 25 32 SERIE A: Bologna 1 (Fabbian 88) Fiorentina 2 (Mandragora 19, Piccoli 45+1) , AC Milan 1 (Fullkrug 76) Lecce 0, Parma 0 Genoa 0, Torino 0 Roma 2 (Malen 26, Dybala 72) . Top 6 P W D L F A Pts Inter Milan 21 16 1 4 44 17 49 AC Milan 21 13 7 1 34 16 46 Napoli 21 13 4 4 31 17 43 Roma 21 14 0 7 26 12 42 Juventus 21 11 6 4 32 17 39 Como 20 9 7 4 28 16 34 BUNDESLIGA: Augsburg 2 Freiburg 2, Stuttgart 1 Union Berlin 1. Top6 P W D L F A Pts Bayern 18 16 2 0 71 14 50 Dortmund 18 11 6 1 35 17 39 Hoffenheim 17 10 3 4 35 21 33 Stuttgart 18 10 3 5 33 26 33 RBLeipzig 17 10 2 5 33 24 32 Leverkusen 17 9 2 6 34 25 29 FRENCH LIGUE 1: Strasbourg 2 Metz 1, Rennes 1 Le Havre 1, Nantes 1 Paris FC 2, Lyon 2 Brest 1. Top 6 P W D L F A Pts Lens 18 14 1 3 32 13 43 Paris SG 18 13 3 2 40 15 42 Marseille 18 11 2 5 41 19 35 Lyon 18 10 3 5 27 18 33 Lille 18 10 2 6 33 25 32 Rennes 18 8 7 3 30 25 31 PREMIER

M ALAYSIA’S 50-gold haul in Cambodia three years ago remains fresh in the memory of sports fans, serving as a benchmark for the national contingent competing in the Asean Para Games (APG) Thailand 2025, which will officially get underway in Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand today. The Malaysian contingent is raising the bar by targeting 55 gold medals this time around, signalling a strong determination and aspiration to create history in the increasingly competitive

Performances in Nakhon Ratchasima will likewise provide an early gauge of Malaysia’s preparations ahead of hosting APG Malaysia 2027 in October next year, where the effectiveness of the contingent’s training programmes and strategies will be fully tested. Malaysia’s chef de mission to APG 2025, Mohd Zarrawi Ravi Abdullah, has previously expressed confidence that swimming and athletics will continue to be the country’s gold mines, while badminton and cycling are expected to strengthen the country’s medal chase. Among the athletes drawing attention is three-time paralympic medallist Muhammad Ziyad Zolkefli, who will compete in the F20 shot put (intellectual impairment) and F20 javelin. Paralympic 2016 gold medallist Mohamad Ridzuan Mohamad Puzi will also take to the track with a mission to reach the podium in the 100m, 200m and 400m T38 (physical impairment) events. The powerlifting arena is expected to steal the spotlight, with Bonnie Bunyau Gustin competing in the 80kg category and his brother, Bryan Junency Gustin, in the 88kg category, adding “drama” to the intense rivalry between two stars from the same family. Paralympic badminton champion in 2020 and 2024, Cheah Liek Hou, will spearhead Malaysia’s challenge in the men’s singles SU5 (physical impairment) and men’s doubles SU5. Muhammad Yusof Hafizi Shaharuddin is expected to make a strong impact in four cycling events – two track and two road events. In swimming, Abd Halim Mohammad, who won five gold medals and one bronze at APG 2023, will compete in eight events. APG 2025 will also serve as a stage for a generational clash between senior and younger athletes, combining experience with youthful energy to ensure the Malaysian contingent is not solely reliant on established stars but continues to churn out new champions across disciplines. Malaysia’s impressive haul of 50 gold, 38 silver and 35 bronze medals at Cambodia 2023 enabled them to finish fourth overall. – Bernama

regional games.

Several Paralympic will spearhead Malaysia’s challenge, raising hopes that the national contingent will again do the country proud on the international arena. APG 2025 is also viewed as a precursor of two major events later this year – the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games in July and the Aichi– Nagoya 2026 Asian Para Games in October – which will serve as the true platforms to assess the readiness of national athletes on the road to the Los Angeles 2028 Paralympic Games. champions

National cerebral palsy (CP) player Farihan Kassim (left) controls the ball against an Indonesian player during yesterday’s group stage match at the 2025 Asean Para Games at Nakhon Ratchasima Rajabhat University Stadium, Thailand. Malaysia lost 3-0. – BERNAMAPIC

Penang prepares for battle royale against Kuching

WITH only a one-goal advantage, there is no guarantee for Penang FC who will travel to Sarawak for the return leg of the 2025/2026 Malaysia Cup round of 16 match against Kuching City FC, on Jan 24. Realising this fact, Penang FC head coach Wan Rohaimi Wan Ismail said his team will make thorough preparations to face the remaining 90 minutes which are expected to be challenging, especially playing in front of the opposing fans. “We are aware of the obstacles in Kuching and I will prepare the team for any eventuality throughout the 90 minutes of the match. “However, what I can say is that we will go with the same approach, which is to play an attacking game and pressure them,” he said at a

throughout the match. “This is a cup game with many challenges and possible outcomes and there will always be surprises. We need to recover quickly. Penang may be happy today, but this is only the first half of the tie and we will see what happens when we play in Kuching,” he said. Aidil, meanwhile, said the extent of midfielder Muhammad Danial Amier Norhisham’s injury is still unknown and will be assessed by the medical team in the near future. “Maybe the doctors will evaluate the injury once the swelling goes down and decide if an X-ray or MRI is required. The injury is still fresh but it appears to be serious, as ankle twists can be quite bad,” he said. – Bernama

appearance with his first goal and I hope his performance and confi dence will continue to improve to help Penang FC in the upcoming matches,” he said. Meanwhile, Kuching City FC head coach Aidil Sharin Sahak said Sunday night’s defeat did not dampen the morale of his team who had given their best performance throughout the match and was opti mistic that the strong support from the fans in Kuching would be a boost to the players to chase a comeback. He also described the loss of focus in the first half, especially in controlling set pieces, as giving the home team an advantage although he stressed that Penang FC did not create many open opportunities

press conference after the match ended at the Bandaraya Stadium, in George Town, on Sunday night. In the match, Penang FC won a narrow 1-0 victory thanks to a goal by new Brazilian-born import striker, Douglas Coutinho Gomes De Souza in the 40th minute, giving the the Black Panthers a one-goal advan tage ahead of the return match. Regarding his decision to put De Souza in the starting lineup, Wan Rohaimi described the trust given to the player as timely after he man aged to create an immediate impact with a goal on his debut. “The trust was given and Douglas (Coutinho Gomes De Souza) managed to repay it well. “ Alhamdulillah , we got an imme diate impact from him from his first