‘Fly the Malaysian flag higher': JDT eye Club World Cup spot, says Garcia

Malay Mail

a day ago

JOHOR BARU, July 2 — Johor Darul Ta'zim Football Club (JDT) have set their sights on continued success on the international stage, including in the AFC Champions League (ACL) Elite and Fifa Club World Cup, in line with the directive of JDT owner Tunku Mahkota Ismail Sultan Ibrahim.
JDT Football Club chief executive officer Luis Garcia said the Regent of Johor's directive is the key impetus for the Southern Tigers to maintain their remarkable performance and soar higher in the Asian and world football arenas.
'His Royal Highness Tunku Mahkota Ismail, who is the Regent of Johor and owner of JDT Football Club, has commanded that the Southern Tigers maximise our potential and proudly fly the Johor and Malaysian flags higher on the international stage, both on and off the field,' he said in a statement uploaded on the club's official Facebook page today.
He said JDT, as the only Malaysian representative in the ACL Elite since 2019, have played an important role in contributing the majority of the 'AFC Member Association' ranking points, thus opening up more opportunities for local clubs to participate in the Asian club tournament.
'To keep progressing, we must not only maintain our performance but aim even higher in the years to come, to further elevate Malaysian football by enabling more Malaysian clubs to qualify for Asian-level competitions,' he said.
Garcia said the expansion of the Fifa Club World Cup format, which may see more Asian teams, not just limited to the ACL Elite champions, gives JDT an opportunity to eye a slot in the tournament through its Asian club ranking.
'JDT have set a target to consistently advance further in the ACL Elite to improve their Asian club ranking and be in a better position to represent Malaysia at the highest stage of world club football,' he said.
Acknowledging the tough trek ahead, he stressed that such success requires high commitment and meticulous planning, given the highly competitive landscape of Asian football.
'Achieving this target is no easy task — the standard of football in Asia is very high. We cannot lose focus if JDT are to succeed in this major mission.
'The new players we have brought in for the 2025–26 season are aligned with this direction, and JDT's success in Asia will certainly also be a success for Malaysian football,' he said. — Bernama