The 5-time Malaysia Super League champions have begun early work on building the squad for the 2019 season and in particular, their first foray into the AFC Champions League next season. Having retained the league title in 2018, The Southern Tigers have also reached the quarterfinal of the FA Cup and semi-final of the Malaysia Cup.
First on the agenda towards preparing the team for the new season was the replacement of loyal servant Marcos Antonio. The 35-year-old joined Johor Darul Ta'zim FC in 2014 and have stayed for the next five seasons, a feat unprecedented in the Super League.