Petaling jaya: Sabah FC made history by securing their first-ever spot in the FA Cup final, defeating Selangor FC 5-4 in a tense penalty shootout. The semi-final, held at the Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ) Stadium, concluded with both teams tied 5-5 on aggregate after the second leg.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, the electrifying match mirrored the first leg’s 2-2 draw, with the score locked at 3-3 after 120 minutes. Selangor ended the match with ten players following Diarra Mamadou’s red card during second-half injury time. Sabah’s goalkeeper, Damien Lim, emerged as the hero by saving two crucial penalty attempts from Selangor’s Harith Haiqal Adam Afkar and Mohammad Abualnadi, compensating for teammate Ajdin Mujagic’s earlier missed penalty.

Mohamad Faisal Abdul Halim initially put Selangor ahead in the 33rd minute, only for Dane Ingham to equalize shortly after halftime. Chrigor Moraes restored Selangor’s lead in the 51st minute, but Sabah responded with Mujagic’s goal in the 62nd minute. Faisal once again gave Selangor the lead in the 73rd minute, but Sabah’s resilience shone through as Mujagic converted a penalty in the 88th minute to level the score.

Historically, Sabah FC, previously known as Sabah team before the MFL privatisation, has reached the final stage three times, with their last appearance in 1998 ending in a runner-up position. In the upcoming final, Sabah FC will face Johor Darul Ta’zim (JDT), the reigning champions who advanced with a 4-1 aggregate victory over Kuching City FC.

JDT’s path to the final was secured with a 2-0 win in the second leg semi-final at the Sultan Ibrahim Stadium in Iskandar Puteri. Bergson Da Silva scored the opening goal in the 25th minute following a collaboration between Oscar Arribas and Corbin-Ong. Despite several opportunities to extend their lead, JDT’s efforts were thwarted by the impressive performance of Kuching City’s goalkeeper, Muhammad Haziq Nadzli. The victory was cemented when Eddy Israfilov scored in the 82nd minute, securing JDT’s chance to defend their title for the fourth consecutive time.