I’ve forgotten that we have a national football team. When I think of Malaysian football, all that I can recall were names like James Wong, Hassan Sani, R. Arumugam, Soh Chin Aun, Mokhtar Dahari, Santokh Singh, Zainal Abidin Hassan, Dollah Salleh…
Last year, I wrote a story about Malaysian football from the point of view of a foreigner in the person of Seamus O’Brien, whose company, World Sports Group (WSG), is behind Asia’s high profile events with millions of viewers such as the AFC Champions League, Asian Cup Championship, FIFA World Cup 2006 Asian Qualifiers and Asean Football Championship.
He said Malaysian football was salvageable and if those involved in the sport could do things correctly, in 10 years, Malaysia would be able to climb to a respectable position in world ranking.
The interview was done in August last year, a time when Malaysia was languishing at 153rd position in world ranking. Malaysia slipped further in the rank to 166th since then.
It moved up again to 161st spot last month (October 2008). Recently, however, the country regained 10 rungs and moved to 151st spot, a progress nonetheless but still, there is little to cheer about.
The Malaysian football hit the bottom in mid-90’s due to match fixing. As though hitting the lowest ebb was not enough, it went on digging deeper and deeper down the crypt.
Moving 10 rungs up the ladder is really no consolation. Malaysia is still burrowing out of the crypt and has not reach the point where it can make a real climb.
Below is the team that put Malaysian football at its height, on that memorable night in 1980 when the country beat South Korea 2-1 in the Moscow Olympics qualifier. The winning goal came from King James after a cross from the left by the speedy Hassan Sani. Malaysia had earlier scored the opener through Bakri Ibni.
Scorers — Malaysia: Bakar Ibni (12th min), James Wong (85th). South Korea: Gang-Nam Kim (58th).
MALAYSIA: A. Arumugam (GK), Jamal Nassir, Soh Chin Aun, Santokh Singh, Khalid Abdullah, Khalid Ali, Sukor Salleh (Yunus Alif), Bakri Ibni, Abdullah Ali, James Wong, Hassan Sani.
I was there — a small boy then — cheering the national team in front of a black-and-white TV. I could still remember how the goal was scored, as vividly as though the match was telecast live in high definition!
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
Where is the great King James now?
Super Player – the Ruud Van Nilselroy of Malaysia.
And Bakri – what a player , smooth as silk.
They were all great … where the hell are all the honors for these guys instead giving latuk latuk to half baked ugly face badminton pondans.
My father still has that 1980 olympic qualifiers match against South Korea. That 20 second Hassan Sani dribble 3 S.korea defenders like lipas kudung he is damn fast… he pass the ball to James wong n James wong score the winning goal…what a great combination. .. the moral of the match is, Play as a team not for just for yourself. Mayb if Hassan sani dont pass the ball, mayb malaysia just draw with s.korea on that night.