Johor Darul Ta’zim have waited a long time to reach the AFC Champions League Elite quarterfinals.
Seven years since they made their debut in Asian football’s premier club competition.
13, when considering it was back in 2013 that current owner Tunku Ismail Idris — the crown prince of Johor — began his stewardship, which marked the start of the club’s ever-growing ambition.
Having now won 12 Malaysia Super League titles in a row, the Southern Tigers have long achieved domestic dominance. Making their mark on the continental stage has always been the next frontier.
After falling in the round of 16 twice in 2022 and 2024-25, JDT can lay claim to being the best eight clubs in Asia — at least for this season.
But if they are to go any further in the centralised ACL Elite finals — taking place in Jeddah from April 16 to 25 — they will have to pass arguably the biggest test of all.
On Friday evening, JDT’s first taste of last-eight action in the tournament sees them take on Saudi Pro League giants Al Ahli at King Abdullah Sports City Stadium.
They will be up against the defending champions, who boast global stars such as Riyad Mahrez, Ivan Toney, Franck Kessié and Édouard Mendy — on their own turf, no less.
It is the type of occasion JDT will have been dreaming of, but it is undeniably a genuine challenge — one not lost on captain Natxo Insa.
“In the 12 years of this club [as JDT], we have achieved a lot of things,” he said in the pre-match news conference. “We are improving year by year. To be here is hard work through big performances in the league phase.
“We are facing one of the best teams but we have to believe in ourselves. We have nothing to lose. We didn’t come here to be on holiday. We are going to give everything we’ve got.”
“We are here because everyone in the club is aligned with the high expectations of becoming better. We don’t play just for ourselves.
“We can face opponents with more history and better players but we have something others don’t have because we fight as a family and that gives us the power to achieve our goals.
“As a player when you know the objective from the very top, the mission is clear.”
Having been at the club since 2017, Insa is fully aware of how far JDT have come.
He has worked under eight different coaches in that time. All have never failed to deliver domestic silverware to Sultan Ibrahim Stadium.
Yet, it is current coach Xisco Muñoz who will finally go down in the history books as the first to lead the club this far in the ACL Elite.
Muñoz is still a month and a half away from his first anniversary at the helm. A stunning upset of Al Ahli would be a perfect early present.
And, while the Spaniard acknowledges they will be the underdogs, he sees no reason why his charges cannot match their more-illustrious opponents.
“We need to understand the context because we are playing against the defending champions and we have to give our maximum,” said Muñoz.
“We try to convince our players of the mentality. It’s a quarterfinal match but it’s also a final for us.”
“It’s our time, we know we have the quality to win but we need to show our capacity. We need to show our competitiveness from the first minute — then I’m sure we can have a good game.
“We don’t have fear because we are prepared for everything. We know exactly what Al Ahli are capable of.
“They are playing in front of their own fans in their own stadium. But we have the information on all the players and how they play, so we will try to give our best.”
