Soccer (Football)
Time for Malaysia to emulate the heroes of 1989
A look back at how Malaysia last won the 1989 SEA Games gold medal in football on home soil.
The football event at the South-East Asian (SEA) Games has always been dubbed the ‘mother of all gold medals’ at the biannual games and it is one that generates not only the most passion amongst fans but one which also gives bragging rights to the winning nation.
Come August 2017, Kuala Lumpur will once again play host to the regional games having last done so in 2001. But on that occasion, Malaysia had to concede the gold medal to rivals Thailand after losing the final. We would have to go back 28 years – to find the last time that Malaysia picked up the gold medal in the football event as host country.
Fired up by disappointment from 1987
Just two years prior to the 1989 SEA Games, the Malaysian football team had to endure a heartbreaking loss to Indonesia in the 1987 final. The final that was played in front of a partisan 120,000 home crowd at Gelora Bung Karno Stadium in Jakarta, saw Malaysia losing agonisingly in extra time.
Azizol Abu Haniffah, Radhi Mat Din, Lee Kin Hong and Dollah Salleh were just some of the many players who got a second chance in 1989 when the SEA Games came to Malaysia. On home territory, the Malaysian team knew that they could not let down the high hopes of their home fans and they were also fired up by the burning pain of losing from 48 months before.
Malaysia team with Trevor Hartley
© Bazookapenaka.my
Starting with a winning momentum
Drawn in Group B, Malaysia was the heavy favourites and easily lived up to the billing. Backed by fervent home support, Malaysia completed the group fixtures with a perfect record of three wins. Philippines (3-0) and Brunei (2-1) were handed defeats before the Malayan Tigers beat Indonesia in the final group game, winning 2-0 and thus scratching that two-year-itch.
It was then that the team as well as the entire country knew that their destiny was in their own hands.
Finishing top of the group, Thailand was the next opponent in the semi-final stage. A solitary goal through Zainal Abidin Hassan’s header was enough to dispose of The War Elephants to set up a final against the old enemy, Singapore.
Triumphant against old foes
The final also pitted Malaysia’s coach Trevor Hartley against his former charges. The Englishman had previously been in charge of Singapore in the 70s before being roped in by the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM). Hartley had a brief stint as caretaker manager of Tottenham Hotspur prior to answering FAM’s call.
Armed with in-depth knowledge of the opponents, Hartley was tasked to mastermind a victory against Malaysia’s causeway rivals. Heavy rain lashed out at Merdeka Stadium but it did not deter 45,000 fans from attending the final.
Backed by voracious home support, Malaysia forced an early own goal through Singapore’s Borhan Abu Samah to take a 1-0 lead. But the Lions equalised through star striker Fandi Ahmad, six minutes before half time to send doubts into the minds of the Malaysian players and fans alike.
Hartley’s half time motivational speech paid immediate dividends after the break as Malaysia set about to fulfil their destiny. Two quick-fire goals were scored before the hour mark in the second half through Lim Teong Kim and Dollah Salleh.
The 3-1 score remained and the iconic Merdeka Stadium erupted in joyous fashion. Malaysia had once again emerged as the SEA Games gold medallist and to do it by beating their fiercest rivals - the celebrations were made all the more sweeter.
Creating lasting legacies
That 1989 gold medal winning team would go on to create lasting memories in the game. Zainal and Dollah went on to be top coaches, guiding their teams to Malaysia Cup triumphs as well as league titles. Serbegeth Singh would become a household name in football punditry in Asia while Lim became a youth coach at world famous Bayern Munich.
The chance is now for Datuk Ong Kim Swee and his 2017 team to repeat and rekindle the memorable feat of the 1989 team. As Kuala Lumpur readies herself once again to play host to the biggest Games in the region, the young Malayan Tigers of 2017 have every chance to win the gold medal on home soil and become the inspiring adulation and inspiration to the new generation.
The SEA Games 2017 football matches start from 14th August 2017. For more details, check out the official SEA Games page.
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