Wild Facts about JDT - Johor’s Football Powerhouse
Photo Source : @UiHua Cheah
There are only two types of Malaysian football fans - those who acknowledge Johor Darul Ta’zim F.C. as a domineering force, and those who are wrong.
More commonly referred to as JDT, the Southern Tigers have made history with several football firsts but, off the pitch, there’s a whole other side to the club that may surprise you… football fan or not.
So here are a few JDT facts that might surprise you, starting with…
1. The Southern Tigers were once known as the Scorpions
Photo source: Retro Bola Sepak via Facebook
Younger fans may not know that the official Harimau Selatan nickname is relatively recent. The club’s previous nickname was Jengking or Scorpion. This was changed in 2012, based on Johor’s coat-of-arms which features two tigers.
In fact, even the Johor Darul Ta’zim F.C. / JDT name is a recent one. The club was originally founded as PKENJ FC (Perbadanan Kemajuan Ekonomi Negeri Johor Football Club) in 1972, then becoming Johor FC in 1996. The name change to Johor Darul Ta’zim F.C. happened in 2013 as part of a rebranding exercise under the ownership of HRH Tunku Ismail Idris, the Crown Prince of Johor, popularly known as TMJ.
2. Much of JDT’s current success is credited to one man
Photo source: JOHOR Southern Tigers
The name change marked the start of a major turning point in JDT’s modern story when TMJ took ownership of the club. It marked the beginning of a long-term vision to build a fully professional football club, one that could compete consistently at the highest level, both domestically and in Asia.
TMJ has been closely associated with shaping JDT’s direction and standards. From infrastructure and facilities to emphasising professionalism, he helped position JDT as a football force to be reckoned with. For many fans, his involvement represents the moment JDT shifted from being just another club to becoming a defining symbol of Johor football.
That vision has also had ripple effects beyond JDT itself. Over the years, Tengku Ismail has been an active voice and influence in Malaysian football as a whole. In fact, when the national Harimau Malaya team climbed 7 places in the FIFA rankings in 2023, the team’s management publicly acknowledged TMJ’s role - noting that more than half of the squad consisted of JDT players.
3. JDT is the first Malaysian club to win a continental title
Photo source: The AFC
JDT made history in 2015 as the first and only Malaysian football club to win a major continental title when they secured the AFC Cup. This win was also the first time a Southeast Asian club had lifted the AFC Cup.
On the local front, JDT has won 11 consecutive league titles between 2014 and 2025. This is an unprecedented streak considering no team had won the league title more than twice in a row since 1982.
4. JDT is the first Southeast Asian club to receive a bespoke jersey design from Nike
Photo Source : @UiHua Cheah
JDT and Nike’s collaboration spans over a decade, with the club being the first in Malaysia to have the Swoosh as their official kit sponsor.
Alongside custom boots and jerseys, JDT also became the only club in Southeast Asia to receive a bespoke jersey design in the 2022 season.
5. The team’s home stadium design is inspired by a banana leaf
Photo Source : @UiHua Cheah
The Sultan Ibrahim Stadium has been home ground to the Harimau Selatan since 2020, replacing Larkin Stadium.
Built at an estimated cost of RM200 million, the state-of-the-art stadium has a capacity of 40,000 and remains open on non-match days, with stadium tours, restaurants, and a souvenir megastore for visitors.
Although it’s been said that the stadium’s iconic appearance was inspired by a crown, it’s actually a banana leaf.
Photo source: Steel Construction
Designed by the Beijing Institute of Architectural Design, the stadium represents “the soul of the team and the temple of the fans; combined with Malaysia's unique tropical rainforest culture, the building form is conceived from the soft curves of the banana leaf, taking into account the structural and morphological requirements, and responding to local climatic characteristics, through the veins of the leaf type skin.”
You know what else can happen in 90 minutes? A ferry ride to Batam.
Photo source: JOHOR Southern Tigers via Facebook
JDT may dominate the pitch, but in the time it takes to play a full match, you could just as easily be crossing the Straits. A winning goal, a dramatic comeback… or the start of a quick island escape.
For fans making the trip down south, game day can easily turn into a full Johor weekend. And from Berjaya Waterfront, the adventure doesn’t have to stop at the stadium.