Johor Darul Ta’zim (JDT) have had a fantastic start to the season and they proved it again by thrashing Myanmar’s Ayeyawady United with a whopping score of 8-1 in the AFC Cup.
Every player in Mario Gomez’s squad played to their full potential, and there was a beautiful cohesion to every movement and run. But one man was central to almost all their goals tonight – Safiq Rahim.
The playmaker scored three goals and assisted four other goals – meaning that he was involved in seven out of their eight goals, tonight. He contributed two assists for Juan Martin Lucero, releasing him for a one-on-one chance to strike it home pass Ayeyawady’s shot stopper. The number 8 also assisted Aidil Zafuan from a free-kick and another coming from a corner kick, dropping perfectly for Marcos Antonio to volley it into goal.
But obviously, his hat-rick takes the cake. His first goal was an absolute stunner as he dribbled past three players before firing a shot from 25 yards out to make it 1-0. His second and third goals – though less spectacular – were products of clinical finishes.
Pereyra Diaz was influential, Kunanlan was unstoppable on the flanks and Lucero even bagged two goals. But Safiq displayed sheer dominance on the pitch. He had supersonic vision, unbridled energy and a terrific eye for goal – things that eventually dismantled the core of Ayeyawady’s set-up.
Fully deserves to be hailed as the ‘Man of the Match’.
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