JDT ready for charity shield challenge - Mora

Johor Darul Ta'zim's (JDT) new head coach Benjamin Mora claims his team is ready to face Kedah in their Charity Shield match tomorrow, although they only have been together for two days.

Mora who has been promoted as the new head coach following the departure of Mario Gomez on Wednesday said he had inherited a team of champions and expects his players to play well.

"I am very grateful to have the opportunity to work with this team...Mario has left a legacy...I am here to support the players to be the best version of themselves and to continue their success," he told reporters in a press conference here, Thursday.

The Mexican however, admitted that he had very little time to make major changes to the team.

"I am focusing more on the mentality so that the players know and feel like this is the final game because we must win. We will try to see what changes or modifications that can be done during the game," he said adding that JDT would try to dominate the game.

Mora who was JDT II head coach had spent one month at Spanish Club, Atletico Madrid, during the off season as part of latter's professional development to prepare him for the new role.

Meanwhile, Kedah assistant coach Mohd Nidzham Adzha said the 5-0 loss to JDT last season had given a lot of opportunities for the team to better prepare themselves this season despite the sudden change in the coach.

"We may have been defeated last year but with our new players, we hope there'll be changes for this time around. We do not know the reason behind their management decision but we would not take this match against JDT lightly.

"We know that Jorge Diaz and Martin Lucero had left their team as well but they have another four new foreign players that we do not have any knowledge about plus JDT has recruited strong young local players," he added.

Mohd Nidzham said JDT was still a force to be reckoned with despite the changes and warned Kedah players to keep their focus on the match. - BERNAMA