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League champions Johor Darul Takzim (JDT) are facing elimination from the Malaysia Cup after second division Felda United won the first leg of their semifinal on Monday night after a late goal from Ndumba Makeche secured a dramatic 4-3 victory at the Selayang stadium. The big-spending visitors suffered a pre-game setback when Malaysian international Safiq Rahim and Brazilian defender Marcos Antonio were forced out with injuries while former Villarreal striker Lucian Figueroa had to start on the bench because of food poisoning. The home team came out firing on all cylinders. Brazilian striker Edward Wilson Junior drew first blood in the seventh minute when he smashed the ball past Al-Hafiz Hamzah in goal to give Felda the lead. Both teams continued to trade punches but it was Felda who doubled their advantage going into the break. Syamim Yahya cut in from the right to send a rasping shot beyond the keeper in the 43rd minute to give the Premier League side a 2-0 lead at halftime. JDT came out in the second period seeking to address their poor start. Argentine forward Jorge Pereyra Diaz found space down the right in the 53rd minute to slot home his side's first goal of the night. The Diaz factor was evident again three minutes later when Nasriq Baharom received his marching orders after a foul on the Argentine to reduce the home side to 10 men. But Makeche stepped up in the 61st minute to restore Felda's two goal buffer with his second goal from a near impossible angle. The Southern Tigers soon capitalised on their numerical advantage. Goals from substitute Figueroa and Diaz in the 81 and 89th minute respectively leveled the score at 3-3 with Irfan Bakti's side seemingly resigned to settling for a draw. But up stepped Makeche with virtually the final kick of the game to send a sublime lob that sailed over Hamzah and nestled in the net to send the crowd at the Selayang stadium into a mad frenzy. The two teams will go head-to-head on Oct. 25 at Johor's Larkin stadium in the second leg to decide who goes through to the final on Nov. 2. Kedah FA managed a 3-1 home win over defending champions Pahang FA in the first leg of their semifinal on Sunday. If Tan Cheng Hoe's men come away from Darul Makmur stadium unscathed, it could set up an all-Premier league final against Felda.
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