Selangor to face JDT, Sarawak, Terengganu in Malaysia Cup group stage

BY        ZULHILMI ZAINAL       Follow on Twitter

In the 2017 Malaysia Cup draw that was held late Monday evening, Selangor have been drawn against Super League leaders Johor Darul Ta'zim (JDT), Super League strugglers Sarawak and Premier League side Terengganu in Group D.

2017 Malaysia Cup groups

The Red Giants had been placed in Pot B of the draw, after they finished the first eleven rounds of the Super League (MSL), the deciding point for qualification, in sixth place last month.

The home and away Malaysia Cup group matches between Selangor and JDT will be the second and third time the two sides will meet outside of the league, with the first time being their 2013 FA Cup quarter-final tie; which ended 3-3 on aggregate and won by the Southern Tigers on the away-goal rule.

The last time Selangor faced off against Sarawak in the cup was in the quarter-final stage of the 2015 edition, en route to lifting their historic 33rd Malaysia Cup title. The Red Giants won the tie 3-2 on aggregate.

Their last Malaysia Cup encounter against the Turtles meanwhile took place in the semi-finals of the 2011 edition, with the East Coast side edging them 4-1 on aggregate.

According to this year's competition format, the runners up of Group D will face the winners of Group C in the quarter-finals, while Group D winners will face the team that finish second in Group C.

Group C consists of recent FA Cup champions Kedah, MSL sides Kelantan and Melaka United, and Premier League surprise package and Selangor FA affiliate club UiTM FC.

Selangor have appeared in the final match of the previous two editions; both times against Kedah at the Shah Alam Stadium. In 2015 they defeated the Red Eagles 2-0 in fulltime, but last year Kedah avenged the defeat by beating them on penalties.