JOHOR Darul Ta’zim showed guts and manhandled Kaya FC of the Philippines, 7-2, Wednesday night to barge into the quarterfinals of the 2016 Asian Football Confederation Cup at the rain-soaked Larkin Stadium in Johor Bahru, Malaysia.
Playing like champions after winning the recent Malaysia FA Cup, the hosts scored in the 14th minute off Juan Martin Lucero’s free kick, before striking again as Jorge Pereyra Diaz converted a penalty in the 23rd, increasing the hosts’ advantage.
The Southern Tigers, who played without influential captain Safiq Rahim due to a thigh injury, then secured the win with a third goal in the 32nd minute following a breakaway.
Goalkeeper Izham Tarmizi kicked in a long ball to Diaz, who weaved his way into the penalty box and assisted Azamuddin Akil, who tapped it in.
Akil, a winger, struck again when he curled in his second marker from the top corner in the 40th minute, handing the hosts a 4-0 lead.
Kaya FC finally scored in the second half behind OJ Porteria in the 53rd minute.
But JDT answered back a minute later, through Lucero, who volleyed in Diaz’s cutback.
Substitute Mahali Jasuli then struck home a sixth marker in the 58th minute before Akil completed a hat trick with his third goal in the 61st.
JDT is now in a quarterfinal tie against qualifiers from the East Zone, which is made up of Hong Kong’s South China, India’s Bengaluru FC and Singapore’s Tampines Rovers.