KUALA LUMPUR: Johor Darul Ta'zim's (JDT) FA Cup triumph on Saturday has boosted them for the Asian-level Champions League Elite (ACLE) competition, said forward Bergson Da Silva.
Brazilian Da Silva believes that the Southern Tigers' resounding 6-1 victory over Selangor in the FA Cup final is proof that they are ready for the continental ACLE from Sept 16 to Feb 19, 2025.
"This is a great start for the ACLE. We know difficult games are ahead with strong opponents, but every year when we wear this (JDT) jersey in this competition, we are confident there will be opportunities to prove ourselves," said Da Silva after the FA Cup final at the National Stadium in Bukit Jalil.
JDT's Spanish midfielder Juan Muniz scored a hat-trick while Arif Aiman Mohd Hanapi, Da Silva, and Heberty Fernandes also got into the scoring act. Selangor got a consolation goal through Alvin Fortes.
Da Silva said although JDT won with a big margin, it was far from an easy contest against Selangor.
"It only started becoming easier midway, but Selangor played a hard-pressing game throughout the 90 minutes. They were relentless, constantly pressing us, which pushed us to elevate our game," said Da Silva.
JDT are braced for a much tougher ACLE campaign where they are up against the likes of South Korean K1 League champions Ulsan Hyundai FC, now led by former Harimau Malaya coach Kim Pan Gon.
The Super League champions are also drawn with Thai League 1 champions Buriram United, South Korean clubs Pohang Steelers and Gwangju FC, Chinese sides Shanghai Shenhua FC and Shanghai Port FC and Australian A-League champions Central Coast Mariners FC.