JOHOR BARU (29 Feb 2020) – Six-times Super League champions Johor Darul Takzim had to toil long and hard against FA Cup champions Kedah before they were able to win the curtain-raiser Charity Shield 1-0 at their brand new Sultan Ibrahim Stadium in Iskandar Puteri last night.
In the process, the Southern Tigers did enough to become the first team to win the Charity Shield for the third time in a row – thanks to Mauricio dos Santos’ 45th minute header.
The match also counted towards the league points and winning start to their campaign this year – eyeing the seventh successive Malaysia Super League title.
It was a night of frustration for the Red Eagles who had a better of the first-half but new signings Hadin Azman, Kipre Tchetche and Kpah Sherman muffed the opportunities that came their way.
While Brazilian Mauricio became the first player to score at the spanking new RM200 state-of-the-art 35,000 capacity stadium. Kedah skipper Baddrol Bakhtiar became the first to get a booking which came as early as the fifth minute.
Mauricio rose to plant an unchallenged header from a Gonzalo Cabrera assist which began from a corner kick.
