If anyone still needed proof that the Liga Super Malaysia is becoming a one-horse race, September 21’s clash between defending champions Johor Darul Ta’zim (JDT) and Sabah FC at the Sultan Ibrahim Stadium delivered it in emphatic fashion.
Facing a side that has consistently hovered around the top half of the table in recent years, JDT didn’t just cruise to a routine victory – they utterly dismantled Sabah, running out 8-0 winners in a statement of pure dominance.
This was no understrength Sabah either. Jean-Paul de Marigny’s men fielded a lineup packed with heavy hitters: Fergus Tierney, Khairul Fahmi Che Mat, Stuart Wilkin, Dominic Tan, Cifu, and Dane Ingham. But despite the quality at their disposal, the Rhinos were completely powerless to stop the Southern Tigers, underlining the sheer gulf in class between JDT and the rest of the league.
Bergson made history on the night, cementing his status as the Liga Super’s all-time top scorer. His hat-trick took him to a staggering 109 goals, surpassing Malaysian legend Indra Putra Mahayuddin’s long-standing tally of 106. The Brazilian’s nearest active challenger is Kelantan The Real Warriors’ Ifedayo Olusegun, who sits at 90 goals – a full 19 behind.
Joao Figueiredo matched Bergson with a hat-trick of his own, while Oscar Arribas and Raul Parra added to the humiliation, completing the rout.
The result – JDT’s sixth win from six – further solidified their inevitable march toward a 12th consecutive Liga Super title. Domestically, it’s no longer a question of whether anyone can stop JDT, but simply how far ahead they’ll finish.