Leandro Velazquez’s match-winning goal capped a phoenix-like renaissance for the southern Malaysian state side as they rose to emerge from the doldrums of two decades of mediocrity and become one of the most-talked about Asian clubs in the space of just three years.
This continental success was the icing on the cake for the Southern Tigers, as they are affectionately nicknamed, another glistening trophy to add to the deluge of silverware they have garnered since their patron Tunku Ismail Ibni Sultan Ibrahim (pictured below, left) – the Crown Prince of the Johor state – kickstarted a football revolution that would make headlines domestically and abroad.
Prior to Tunku Ismail’s takeover in late 2012, Johor football was in a rut.
Their past glories as a major domestic force in the mid-1980s to the 1990s, culminating in the Malaysia League and Cup double in 1991, were a distant memory.
The last major silverware won by the club came before the turn of the century, when they claimed the Malaysia FA Cup in 1998.
Starved of success during those intervening years, the locals were pining for the era when the likes of Nasir Yusof and Ervin Boban captured the imagination of the crowds at the Tan Sri Dato Haji Hassan Yunos Stadium.
Disillusioned by the declining standard of the game in the state, crowds dwindled to a few hundred every home game as the 30,000-seater stadium disintegrated into a pale shadow of the venue that hosted the FIFA World Cup qualifying play-off between Japan and Iran in 1997.
That long period in the Malaysian football wilderness would end when Tunku Ismail became the new president of the Johor Football Association in the second half of 2012.
The 31-year-old wasted no time setting the wheels in motion soon after taking office.
He revamped the entire Johor football structure and brought Johor’s various professional football clubs under the Johor umbrella.
“At that point in my life, I was looking to step up and bring tangible changes for the people of my land, so I went to watch one of the Malaysia Super League games involving Johor at the Pasir Gudang Stadium,” Tunku Ismail says.
“There was barely anyone there, and I thought to myself, ‘What’s going on?’ because the Johor I remember watching with my family in the 90s had a lot more support.
“That night I told myself that I was going to change the face of Johor football.”
Sparing no expense
Tunku Ismail’s direct involvement in changing the state of the game in Johor saw several corporate sponsors become involved as he also established a marketing division to promote the new brand name of the state.
The investment that rolled in saw Johor emerge as a major force in the local transfer market.
Strengthening the playing squad was a priority as the new owner sought to make the club one of the most feared sides in Malaysia again.
While they spared no expense attracting the most talented local players available, they went further than their rivals’ usual promise of domestic supremacy with a vision to be the best club in Malaysia and beyond.
Rival club stalwarts Safiq Rahim and Amri Yahyah were convinced to depart Selangor to sign for their present employers in 2013.
High-profile foreign signings also raised the quality of the squad with Johor attracting Spanish 2008 UEFA European Championship winner Dani Guiza in 2013 and ex-Argentina international duo Pablo Aimar (pictured above, right) and Luciano Figueroa (pictured below, right) the following season.
“With JDT’s professional administration and complete facilities, we as players only need to focus on giving our best on the pitch in every match,” Malaysia international midfielder Safiq says.
“JDT is the place to be for any player to expand his career as a professional footballer.”
Filling the trophy cabinet
Having come close to winning silverware in 2013, Johor finally reaped the fruits of their labour when they won the Malaysia Super League the next year under Croatian head coach Bojan Hodak, their first domestic league title since 1991.
Among the marquee trio, Figueroa played the biggest role in the Southern Tigers’ success that season with 11 league goals as he combined a predatory instinct in the final third with his tireless work rate.
Their domestic league success saw the doors to Asia open as the Malaysian champions fulfilled Tunku Ismail’s promise of achieving entry into continental club competition.
They also became the first team from Malaysia to feature in the AFC Champions League, albeit in the qualifying play-offs.
JDT lost 2-0 to Kitchee in Hong Kong, but returned the favour a month later back home.
The new look Johor’s Asian debut in 2015 saw them edge past Indian champions Bengaluru FC 2-1 after extra-time in the first play-off round before they were humbled in the next round by three clear away goals from Bangkok Glass in the Thai capital.
This meant Johor entering the AFC Cup group stage where they were pooled in Group F alongside 2014 semi-finalists Kitchee of Hong Kong, Singaporean debutantes Balestier Khalsa and Indian side Kingfisher East Bengal.
The Southern Tigers dominated their group, winning five out of six matches to seal top spot and earn home advantage in their one-leg Round of 16 clash against Myanmar side Ayeyawady United.
But while things were going well in Asia, they were enduring a rocky Malaysia Super League title defence as a series of inconsistent results saw them fall several points off the pace.
A new man at the helm
With their domestic league aspirations at stake, Johor parted ways with Hodak in April and replaced him with Argentinean coach Mario Gomez (pictured, below) from Hong Kong side South China.
The new coaching appointment was an inspired one as the 58-year-old former Valencia and Inter Milan assistant coach turned the Southern Tigers’ season around and was rewarded with a stunning run where they retained the domestic league championship on the final day of the season in August before clinching the AFC Cup in October.
Gomez’s impact was immediate as the team responded positively to his methods and delivered an attractive brand of attacking football.
Ayeyawady were ruthlessly brushed aside by five clear goals in their Round of 16 contest to set up a showdown with South China in the quarter-finals.
Another of Gomez’s masterstrokes was to recall Figueroa into the side after the 34-year-old striker was initially sidelined through a combination of injury and poor form.
The powerful forward’s 10 goals in 12 domestic league matches in the second half of the season was crucial as Johor retained the title, while he also contributed five strikes in their successful AFC Cup run.
It was Gomez’s inside knowledge of his former club South China that saw Johor get the better of their Hong Kong opponents in the quarter-finals before the suspension of all Kuwaiti sides from AFC competition saw them advance into the final despite losing the first leg of their semi-final 3-1 to Qadsia SC.
The final triumph against FC Istiklol in Tajikistan was where the Argentine’s tactical prowess shone through as Johor overcame a partisan capacity crowd to become the first Southeast Asian side to lift the AFC Cup.
“Every day we worked hard to be a little better than we were the previous day,” Gomez says.
“We want to continue the same way as we have done before.
“In the professional game, we need to have all 11 players perform, not nine or 10.
“Thus it is important that when we work in training, everyone helps and understands what his role is.”
