The new M-League season kicks off on March 5, with defending champions Johor Darul Ta’zim (JDT) hosting Kedah in the Charity Shield-cum-Super League match at the Sultan Ibrahim Stadium in Iskandar Puteri.

Despite the Covid-19 disrupting the season in 2020, JDT was in a class of their own as they won the title without losing a single league match.

JDT are the best team in Malaysian football and going by their success, the Southern Tigers will likely be among the best in Asia one day. It will be a major surprise if JDT fails to secure the top spot this time around.

With JDT unlikely to lose their crown, the fight for second and third will be more interesting for Malaysian fans. Many teams have copied JDT’s formula in taking their game to the next level, with the much-improved Selangor likely to fight for the podium this season.

Malaysian Football League (MFL) president Datuk Hamidin Amin, who met Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin on Thursday, hopes teams will adhere to the guidelines to avoid disruptions.

“In my meeting with the Prime Minister, I told him that it was our (MFL) responsibility to ensure teams follow the SOPs so that we can at least see some fans in venues in a few months. I had also met relevant parties to discuss making vaccines available to players in the future.”

MFL released the Super League and Premier League fixtures yesterday. All matches will start at 9 pm.