KUALA LUMPUR, June 23 – After staying from the tournament last year due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Malaysian Super League champions Johor Darul Takzim suffered a 1-0 defeat to Japan’s Nagoya Grampus in their opening Group G match of the AFC Champions League on Tuesday.
In the match played at the Rajamangala Stadium in Bangkok, the Johor outfit fell a 60th-minute goal by Hiroyuki Abe who made the best of the opportunity that came his way from an assist by Ryoga Yamasaki.
JDT hotly disputed the winner as the Southern Tigers claimed offside, but referee Mohammed Abdulla Hassan of the United Arab Emirates stood his ground. It turned out to be the winner of the Japanese club.
It was more heartbreak for JDT when their Brazilian hitman Bergson Da Silva was denied a goal in the dying minutes when he was deemed to have infringed a foul before he headed the ball into the net.
Still, JDT had a fair share of the game against Nagoya Grampus and was unlucky not to have shared the spoils with new find Arif Aiman Hanapi and Bergson muffing chances before the halftime break.
What was seen of JDT has given the Southern Tigers hope when they play local club Ratchaburi FC on Friday. Ratchaburi lost their opening match against Pohang Steelers 2-0.
Pohang Steelers next face Nagoya Grampers on Friday.
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