Is 2026 Pahang's Time to Shine Again!

Pahang held off the challenge of two-time defending champions JDT to reach the final of the MPFL 2026.

Under the play-off rules, a team had to win both legs to progress, with the aggregate score not taken into account. Pahang won the first leg in Kuantan 4-2, with JDT winning the second leg in Pasir Gudang.

With the match heading for penalties, Pahang scored twice in the final two minutes of extra time through their two foreigners, Rodrigo Da Silva and Felipe De Souza, to end JDT's search for a hat-trick of titles.

Rewind to the first season of the MPFL in 2019, Kuantan Rangers, as they were formerly known, went through a rebranding process to become Pahang Rangers, and announced Taufik Yaiyah as coach for the season. The team lost 6-0 to Selangor in a pre-season friendly, but in the regular season took four points off them, however they still finished in second place behind Selangor in the final league table.

With Covid wiping out the next two seasons, Pahang returned in 2022 with Spaniard Gerard Casas at the helm. Again they frustrated Selangor with a 2-2 draw in their only meeting that season, but they still had to settle for second place behind their rivals, just a four point gap separating them as both sides lost just one game in the whole season.

Casas finally guided Pahang to success in the 2023 season. The fourteen teams were split into two groups, with Pahang avoiding both Selangor and newly formed JDT.

Pahang finished top with 34 points, six clear of second placed Pulau Pinang, who were the only side they dropped points against in a 2-2 draw.

In 2024 the league reverted to just eight teams and saw JDT win the first of their back-to-back titles. Pahang added Brazilian Felipe De Souza to their ranks as one of their two foreigners, he finished as the league's top scorer with 24 goals, but despite that, Pahang still had to settle for third place behind JDT and their fierce rivals Selangor. It proved to be Gerard Casas' final season in charge.

Another Spaniard took charge for the 2025 season, Luis Fonseca, who'd previously coached in Qatar and Vietnam. He hoped to better the achievements of his predecessor.

However, once again Pahang found themselves in similar territory, finishing third again behind JDT and Selangor. De Souza scored 22 times, only bettered by Selangor's Vitor Fernando.

2026 saw the arrival of another Spanish coach, Eloy Alonso. He brought vast experience to the club. A former goalkeeper, he had spent the previous four years in the coaching set-up of the Thailand national team.

Another Brazilian joined to link up with De Souza, Rodrigo Da Silva, or Rodriguinho, and what an impact he had on the season.

He scored regularly across the campaign, his skill and vision setting up countless goals for De Souza and the rest of his team-mates.

They fell just two short of 100 goals in the regular season, De Souza currently the league's top scorer with 37, Rodrigo adding 25 as they scored more than half Pahang's goals between them.

Both scored in that vital extra time win over JDT to book a place in the final, where again they will face Selangor, but with the first leg in Kuantan it's a chance for Alonso's team to lay down a marker. If anyone can stop Selangor's 100% run it's them, they know every player in the squad needs to be at their absolute best if they are to finish the season with silverware.

The first leg of the final is in Kuantan on 24th October at 20.30, the second leg a week later in Shah Alam.

You can watch both games of the season's finale on the MPFL TV channel on YouTube.