The last time Johor Darul Ta’zim really felt like “this is happening” on the biggest Asian stage, it was years ago and it didn’t last.
Now it has.
Seven years since they made their debut in Asian football’s premier club competition, the Southern Tigers are finally in the AFC Champions League Elite quarterfinals, and for a club that’s practically owned the domestic scene, the wait has been almost comically long.
A dream, finally turning into a deadline
It’s been a slow burn.
Seven years since their debut, and in that stretch—especially when you zoom out—there’s a clear through-line from ambition to actual results.
In 2013, current owner Tunku Ismail Idris, the crown prince of Johor, began his stewardship, which marked the start of the club’s ever-growing ambition.
Since then, JDT have kept stacking Malaysia Super League trophies: they’ve now won 12 Malaysia Super League titles in a row.
Domestic dominance became the easy part.
Making their mark on the continental stage has always been the next frontier, and JDT’s path there has had some bruises.
After falling in the round of 16 twice in 2022 and 2024-25, they can lay claim to being the best eight clubs in Asia—for this season, at least.
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.
Quarterfinal reality: Al Ahli in Jeddah
JDT reached the AFC Champions League quarterfinals for the first time after recording a 3-2 aggregate win over Sanfrecce Hiroshima in the round of 16.
On Friday evening, their 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.
And yes, this is the part where the moment stops being a “nice story” and turns into a survival check.
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.
The scale of it is hard to ignore.
Even sitting in the quiet between sprints, you can almost feel the noise of a stadium before it arrives.
Somewhere nearby, a kettle might be whistling in a hotel hallway, the same way the air always feels different before a big match—thin, alert, waiting.
Captain Natxo Insa is aware of the stakes, and not sugarcoating it.
“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.” Then he pivots, direct as a kick: “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.”
He keeps returning to alignment—everyone in the club chasing the same target, not just dressing it up with slogans.
“We are here because everyone in the club is aligned with the high expectations of becoming better,” he added, and you can hear the practical side of it: fighting as a family, the “power to achieve our goals.” In a way, that’s been JDT’s blueprint—build a unit that can handle pressure, even when the opponents look like they were assembled for headlines.
Muñoz adds the same theme, but framed like a plan rather than a belief system.
Having taken over as Johor Darul Ta’zim coach last June, Xisco Muñoz has already led the club to a Malaysia Super League and FA Cup, as well a first appearance in the AFC Champions League Elite finals.
Yet it’s still Muñoz who will “go down in the history books” as the first to lead the club this far in the ACL Elite.
A stunning upset of Al Ahli would be a perfect early present.
And he’s cautious without sounding afraid.
“We need to understand the context because we are playing against the defending champions and we have to give our maximum,” he said.
“We try to convince our players of the mentality.
It’s a quarterfinal match but it’s also a final for us.” Then, almost like he can’t help himself—he underlines competitiveness again: show it from the first minute.
“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.” JDT know they’re playing in a place where the crowd will push the defenders, and the clock will feel shorter for the visitors.
But they also have the information on all the players and how they play, so they will try to give their best.
Whether that’s enough… well, that part is the whole point of quarterfinals.
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