* JDT to play South China of Hong Kong
A free ride into the quarter-finals comes with a tough draw for Pahang when the draw for the AFC Cup quarter-finals was made in Kuala Lumpur on Thursday.
The Elephants will face Tajikistan League champions FC Istiklol in the two-leg quarter-finals while Johor Darul Takzim were handed an easier draw against Hong Kong’s South China FC.
Pahang were awarded a 3-0 win and a place in the quarter-finals after the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) punished Indonesia’s Persipura Jayapura tie was called off when Indonesia failed to issue visa to three of the four foreign players in the Pahang side.
Pahang will face FC Istiklol in the first-leg at the Central Republican Stadium in Dushanbe on Aug 26 while the return-leg will be played at the Darul Makmur Stadium in Kuantan on Sept 16.
JDT, now coached by South China’s former coach Mario Gomez will be at home to South China at the Larkin Stadium in Johor Bahru in the first-leg which will be played on Aug 25. The return-leg at the Mongkok Stadium is scheduled for Sept 15.
Both, JDT and Pahang are looking at history if they make the semi-finals as no Malaysian team has reached the last four in the AFC Cup.
AFC Cup Quarter-Finals draw)
Aug 25
(First-leg)
JDT versus South China
(Larkin Stadium, Johor Bahru)
Sept 15
(Return-leg)
South China versus JDT
(Mongkok Stadium, Hong Kong)
Sept 16
(First-leg)
FC Istiklol versus Pahang
(Central Republican Stadium, Dushanbe, Tajikistan)
Sept 16
Pahang versus FC Istiklol
(Stadium Darul Makmur, Kuantan)
