Coach Ulisses Morais says he is pleased with the Malaysia Cup efforts of Johor Darul Ta'zim (JDT) after they overcome a poor playing surface to secure an important 2-0 victory over Sarawak in Group D on Saturday night.
Goals from Mohammed Ghaddar and Safiq Rahim confirmed three precious points, which puts them one win away from a spot in the last eight of the competition.
"It is our objective to reach the Malaysia Cup quarterfinals," Morais said via the Southern Tigers Facebook page.
"I am satisfied with the result, despite the pitch condition. It was a tough game for any team and made difficult for us to give 100 percent."
Should the league champions-elect win against Terengganu on Tuesday, they will seal qualification to the knockout stages with a game to spare.
Victory would also prove the perfect tonic for JDT to face Selangor next Saturday. Another win would confirm their status as four-time consecutive champions of the Malaysia Super League (MSL).
Selangor could be difficult to overcome, with their recent form speaking volumes.
The Red Giants put on a steely performance to come from behind and overcome Terengganu 3-2, sealing qualification to the last eight.
New signings made in June have seen just one loss in the last nine games in all competitions.
Rufino Segovia has been one of the standout players since joining from Kitchee FC in Hong Kong.
The former Atletico Madrid man, desperate to earn a longer playing stint in the country after signing for six months, again stole the headlines with an added-time winner.
Francis Forkey Doe, his partner up front, has also improved in every game. The Liberian was once again on the mark with a sublime free kick against his former employers.
Another team to have made the quarterfinals are surprise packages PKNP FC, who confirmed qualification with a 4-1 triumph over T-Team in Group A.
Perak are also through to the next round after a 3-1 over PKNS FC in Shah Alam.