When JDT were last in the final of the Malaysia Cup, it was in 2017 when they beat Kedah 2-0 to lift the cup for the first time in the club's short existence. Yet curiously the JDT side then coached by Ullises Morais did not have Safawi Rasid either on the pitch on the bench. A sight that would be rare in 2019 if a fit Safawi is available.
In the two years since that final, Safawi has not only established himself as one of the first names on the team sheet of JDT but also for the Malaysia national team.