Mid-Season Report: Pahang Rangers
No team surprised the opening circuits more than Pahang Rangers, who won five of their first six and looked every inch a title challenger before Selangor brought them back to earth.
There was no bigger surprise in the opening circuits of the 2026 season than Pahang Rangers, who won five of their first six matches and looked every inch a title challenger before Selangor brought them back to earth in Circuit 4.
Eloy Alonso's side were hoping to be the first team to beat Selangor this season, only to find Edgar Baldasso's side in a different gear altogether. The 5-3 defeat in Circuit 4 was Pahang's first of the season.
The Brazilian spine has been the foundation of everything. Felipe De Souza leads the league's scoring charts alongside Marlon on 16 goals, and his combination with Rodrigo Da Silva, who has 13 of his own, has given Pahang one of the most potent forward lines the league has seen since the Pahang Rangers teams of the early seasons won back-to-back titles in 2022 and 2023.
Sirhan Aiman and Harith Na'im have provided the Malaysian core with real quality alongside those imports.
The 19-2 win over Wipers in Circuit 2 remains the most one-sided result of the season, and a run of four successive victories before the Circuit 4 loss showed a team in genuine form. Three MVP awards for De Souza across the campaign underline just how influential the Brazilian has been.
One of their best performances did not result in a win. They trailed two-time defending champions JDT 3-0 at half time, but a stunning comeback in the second half earned them a point in a 3-3 draw.
With 19 points from seven matches, Pahang remain firmly in contention. They face Selangor again before the season is out, and that rematch will go a long way to determining where the title ends up.
Eloy Alonso will know his side need to rediscover their early-season rhythm quickly. The gap is two points. It is entirely retrievable.
