KUALA LUMPUR: Sri Pahang reached the Malaysia Cup semi-finals for the first time since 2019, thanks to a hat-trick by Manuel Hidalgo on Sunday.
The Elephants advanced with a hard-fought 4-3 aggregate victory over Perak at the Temerloh Municipal Council Stadium.
Coming into the second leg with a 1-0 advantage, Pahang took the lead in the fifth minute, but Wan Zack Haikal Wan Nor equalised for Perak four minutes later.
The East coast side regained their advantage in the 30th minute when Hidalgo converted a penalty. However, Perak responded once again through a Jesper Nyholm goal in the 42nd minute.
In the dying moments of the first half, Hidalgo scored another penalty for his team to lead 3-2.
Perak's persistence paid off in the 54th minute when Daniel Hakimi Azmil struck the equaliser, but it was just not enough.
Pahang will meet the winners of the Kuching City vs Sabah match in the semi-finals.
In the Challenge Cup, Kedah cruised into the semi-finals with a resounding 6-0 aggregate victory over KL Rovers. Having won the first leg 3-0, the Red Eagles replicated the score at the KLFA Stadium.
Meanwhile, Selangor continued their emphatic run with an 8-1 aggregate win over Kelantan Darul Naim. Selangor won the second leg 3-0 at the MBPJ Stadium.