Dua pemain ‘terendah’ Harimau Malaya membenam UAE
Malaysia mengalahkan UAE 2-0 pada 20 September 1980 dalam Kumpulan B pusingan akhir Piala Asia yang diadakan di Kuwait. Perlawanan tersebut merupakan perlawanan pertama antara kedua-dua pasukan.
Malaysia mendahului perlawanan pada minit ke-30 melalui sepakan deras Abdah Alif yang menewaskan penjaga gol UAE, Saad Salbouk. Gol kedua pasukan kebangsaan dijaringkan pada minit-minit akhir perlawanan oleh pemain gantian Tukamin Bahari. Tukamin dibawa masuk pada minit ke-77 menggantikan Ramli Junit. Kedua-dua penjaring gol Malaysia merupakan pemain yang terendah berbanding rakan-rakan sepasukan.
Jurulatih Mohamed Che Su terpaksa membawa masuk pemain simpanan untuk perlawanan menentang UAE kerana tiga main utama, Bakri Ibni, Abdullah Ali dan Yahaya Jusoh, mengalami kecederaan dalam perlawanan menentang Kuwait sebelumnya. Mereka digantikan oleh S.Pushpanathan, Abdah Alif dan D. Devendran. Pemain lain yang dibariskan dalan kesebelasan utama adalah Ong Yu Tiang, Soh Chin Aun, Nik Fauzi, Jamal Nasir, Shukor Salleh, G. Torairaju, Zulkifli Hamzah dan Ramli Junit.
Penjaga gol utama, Hamid Ramli masih tidak dapat diturunkan kerana belum pulih dari kecederaan ibu jari kanan yang dialami dalam perlawanan latihan menentang UMBC dua hari sebelum berangkat ke Kuwait. Sementara penjaga gol berpengalaman R.Arumugam, baru selesai menjalani pembedahan lutut.
Dalam perlawanan pembukaan Kumpulan B pusingan akhir Piala Asia yang ke-7 ini, Malaysia seri dengan Korea Selatan 1-1 sebelum tewas 1-3 kepada Kuwait. Dalam perlawanan terakhir, pasukan negara terikat 1-1 dengan Qatar. Malaysia menduduki tempat ketiga dalam kumpulan dan terlepas peluang ke peringkat separuh akhir.
Pada malam ini, Harimau Malaya akan bertemu dengan UAE dalam Kumpulan G, Pusingan Kelayakan Piala Dunia 2022 / Piala Asia 2023.
Kami ucapkan selamat maju jaya kepada jurulatih Tan Cheng Hoe dan anak didiknya. Semoga cebisan sejarah kemenangan lebih 40 tahun yang lalu menjadi inspirasi kepada pasukan. Kami percaya seluruh rakyat Malaysia akan terus memberi sokongan padu walaupun tidak dapat bersama di stadium.
(Foto: Dunia Sukan)
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Shortest players of Harimau Malaya sink UAE.
On September 20, 1980, Malaysia defeated UAE 2 – 0 in a Group B Asian Cup Finals match held in Kuwait. The match was the first meeting between the two teams.
Malaysia took the lead in the 30th minute with a goal by Abdah Alif whose powerful kick flung the ball past UAE’s goalkeeper, Saad Salbouk. The second goal was scored during the final minutes of the match by substitute player Tukamin Bahari. He was brough in in in the 77th minute, replacing Ramli Junit. Coincidentally enough, both of the Malaysian goal scorers were the shortest compared to their other teammates.
Coach Mohamed Che Su had to bring in several substitute players as his three key players – Bakri Ibni, Abdullah Ali and Yahaya Jusoh suffered injuries from the previous match against Kuwait. They were replaced by S. Pushpanathan, Abdah Alif and D. Devendran. The other players in the first eleven included Ong Yu Tiang, Soh Chin Aun, Nik Fauzi, Jamal Nasir, Shukor Salleh, G. Torairaju, Zulkifli Hamzah and Ramli Junit.
Hamid Ramli, Malaysia’s main goalkeeper, was still missing in action as he had not recovered from a right thumb injury that he suffered during a training match against UMBC two days before they left for Kuwait. Meanwhile, Malaysia’s experienced goalkeeper, R. Arumugam, had just completed knee surgery.
In Group B’s opening match of the 7th Asian Cup, Malaysia drew 1 – 1 with South Korea before losing to Kuwait 1 – 3. In the final Group B match, the national team drew 1 – 1 with Qatar. Malaysia finished third in the group, narrowly missing out the chance to advance to the knockout stage (semi-finals).
Tonight, Harimau Malaya will meet UAE in Group G of the 2022 World Cup / 2023 Asian Cup Qualifiers.
We wish Coach Tan Cheng Hoe and his players the best of luck. Hopefully this slice of history from over 40 years ago become an inspiration for the team. We believe that Malaysians will continue to give their full support despite not being able to get together at the stadium.
(Photo credit: Dunia Sukan)
