*Figueroa and Diaz net two each for Southern Tigers in 5-0 win over Ayeyawady
The night belonged to Johor Darul Takzim’s Argentine hot shots Jorge Pereyra Diaz and Luciano Figueroa as the Southern Tigers thrashed Ayeyawady United of Myanmar 5-0 to march into the quarter-finals of the AFC Cup at the Larkin Stadium in Johor Bahru on Wednesday.
The Argentine duo plundered two goals each after skipper Safiq Rahim scored as early as the second minute from a Diaz assist as the Johor outfit kept their unbeaten home record stretching back to 2013.
That early goal however did not bring any more additions in the first half although the homesters, backed by a vociferous 30,000 crowd was expecting an avalanche of goals against an under-strength Ayeyawady.
They were reported to have come without five key players who are with the Myanmar SEA Games team.
The Southern Tigers turned on the heat after the break and three minutes after the re-start it was 2-0 up for JDT with Figueroa blasting in from inside the box after Diaz had worked his way in from the left before cutting it back from inside the six-yard box and Figueroa drilling it home.
It did not stop at that as JDT went 3-0 up on 61 minutes. This time it was Figueroa who played a one-two with Diaz before the latter finished it off with a right footed shot into the far corner. JDT were in the driver’s seat and on fire.
Ayeyawady then gave away two corners and it proved disastrous for the Myanmar outfit – with Safiq having a hand in goals number four and five for JDT.
Safiq executed a well taken corner and Diaz rose high to plant a header into their opponents’ net on 75 minutes. And in injury time another corner by Safiq resulted in another goal and this time it was Figueroa who rose high to send the Ayeyaway net dancing and the scoreboard reading 5-0.
It was an Argentina show at the Larkin Stadium and the fans loved it and JDT are in the quarter-finals of the AFC Cup with a scintillating performance that augers well for the team.
PICTURES by www.asiana.my
