PETALING JAYA (17 Oct 2015) – Super League champions Johor Darul Takzim (JDT) are in the AFC Cup final via the back door after FIFA slapped a ban on the Kuwait FA on Friday.
The Southern Tigers, as JDT are known, were supposed to play Kuwait’s Qadsia SC in the return-leg semi-final at the Larkin Stadium in Johor Bahru on Tuesday (20 Oct). The match has now been called off.
JDT lost the first-leg in Kuwait City 3-1.
In the AFC Cup final JDT will face Tajikistan’s Istiklol in Dushanbe on 31 Oct. Istiklol also earned a free ride into the final after losing to another Kuwait club Kuwait SC 4-0 in the first-leg semi-final.
“Following the decision by FIFA to suspend Kuwait FC and its members from all activities Kuwait SC and Qadsia SC are no longer eligible to compete in the AFC Cup semifinals,” said Asian Football Confederation in a statement posted on their website on Saturday.
This means a new name from a new country will be engraved on the silverware in the second tier regional tournament.
JDT had already created Malaysian football history by becoming the first Malaysiaan team to reach the semi-finals.
Istiklol knocked out another Malaysian outfit Pahang in the AFC Cup in the two-leg quarter-finals.
