Posted: 4:41pm 04/01/2026
Report: Chen Zhicong
(Kuala Lumpur News on the 4th) In 2026, formalaysian basketballLeague (MBL) championsJohor Southern TigerIt can be said to be an extremely critical year.
Last season in the MBL League, Johor South Tigers, led by American NBA-level foreign aid Jabari Bird, defeated Penang Sunshine Boys with a total score of 2-0 in the final and won the most valuable Champions League in the history of the club since its establishment in 2022. It also won the 2025/26 season.AFC Champions LeagueLeague (BCL) qualification.
In the new year, in addition to representing Malaysia in the AFC Champions League, the South Tigers will also start the MBL League in the fourth season (2025/26 season, tentatively scheduled from April to May) to defend their title.
Yang Jianan: Show your best side
Asked whether 2026 is a crucial year in the history of the Southern Tigers, head coach Yang Jianan agreed. He said in an interview with “Sing Chew Sports”: “Our chance to participate in the AFC Champions League may only be this one, because the prerequisite for qualifying for the AFC Champions League is to defeat Negeri Sembilan Jinqunli.”
“As we all know, it is very difficult to climb this mountain in the domestic league (last season’s semi-final defeat was 2-1). Although the AFC Champions League schedule has not been announced so far, I hope we will not take it lightly and show our best side.”
Wang Yidong was unfortunately seriously injured at the SEA Games
Unfortunately, South Tigers defender Wang Yidong, who was unfortunately injured in the first game of the SEA Games in Thailand, suffered a meniscus injury in his knee. Yang Jianan confirmed that he would not be able to make it to the AFC Champions League.
Yang Jian’an also admitted, “Compared to other teams, our players’ experience is relatively low. We will definitely lose if we go to a higher level of competition, but I hope we can seize this opportunity to participate.”
Laqing Stadium is the first choice for home stadium
In addition, the Larkin Stadium is the preferred home venue of the AFC Champions League. The last President’s Cup national basketball game was hosted in this stadium with a capacity of 7,000 people. More than 6,000 people were seated on the final day. The fans of the Nanhu Tigers have responded enthusiastically. The team is waiting for the announcement of the AFC Champions League schedule and plans to rent the Larkin Stadium, which was renovated at a cost of RM350 million a few years ago.
The AFC Champions League is FIBA’s flagship club event in Asia. The first tournament did not have an East Asian region. At that time (2024), Jin Qunli successfully passed the severe test of two rounds of qualifying rounds (Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia and Jakarta, Indonesia), won the “boarding pass” to Dubai, and finally finished in the top 8 in the Middle East.
Last year, due to focusing on the overall situation (preparing for the SEA Games), the national men’s basketball team competed in the AFC Champions League in the name of Jin Qunli. The group stage record was 1 win and 5 losses and failed to qualify.
