Harimau Malaya Bersiap Sedia untuk Pra-Olimpik 1980
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Sebelum Malaysia beraksi di Kelayakan Asia Sukan Olimpik Moscow 1980, yang berlangsung dari 21 Mac – 3 April 1980, pasukan kebangsaan menjemput beberapa pasukan antarabangsa untuk perlawanan persahabatan sebagai persiapan mereka.
Malaysia mengadakan dua perlawanan bersama pasukan Eropah, Zurich Grasshoppers dan Red Star Belgrade, di mana Malaysia kalah 0–2 dan 0–9. Namun, dua lagi perlawanan menanti mereka, iaitu bersama Arab Saudi dan China pada 12 Mac dan 16 Mac.
Beberapa minggu sebelum perlawanan-perlawanan tersebut, Harimau Malaya menjalani latihan pusat di sebuah tempat yang terpencil, Maktab Latihan Tentera Laut Diraja di Bukit Fraser. Pada masa yang sama, pasukan Malaysia B sedang bersiap sedia di Wisma FAM untuk Piala Emas Presiden (Bangladesh).
Walaupun telah mengalami dua kekalahan sebelumnya, Malaysia tetap turun dengan keyakinan yang tinggi bila berdepan dengan pasukan Arab Saudi. Zulkifli Hamzah menjaringkan gol pertama pada minit ke-15 setelah menerima hantaran daripada Ramli Junit di dalam kawasan penalti.
Pada minit ke-44, Zulkifli kembali menendang bola melepasi penjaga gol Arab Saudi dari kira-kira 20 meter untuk memberikan Malaysia gol yang kedua. Gol terakhir mereka dijaringkan oleh Tukamin Bahari dua minit sebelum tamat perlawanan.
Pasukan Malaysia tentunya puas dengan kemenangan 3-0 tersebut. Mereka telah menunjukkan peningkatan dalam prestasi permainan. Pemain-pemain juga dikatakan lebih sihat dan cergas selepas latihan pusat. Ia merupakan penguat semangat yang diperlukan apabila kelayakan Olimpik semakin hampir.
Pada 16 Mac pula, Malaysia bertemu China. Pasukan pelawat membuka jaringan pertama menerusi Li Fubao pada minit ke-55 sebelum Malaysia membalas dengan tiga gol.
Pada minit ke-61, Hassan Sani memberikan Malaysia gol pertama menerusi tendangan jarak dekat. Kemudian pada minit ke-77, Soh Chin Ann menghantar bola kepada James Wong, yang menggunakan kepantasan dan ketangkasan beliau untuk meninggalkan pemain pertahanan China jauh di belakang dan menjaringkan gol dengan mudah. Tujuh minit selepas itu, satu lagi hantaran strategik dari Soh Chin Ann kepada Hassan Sani melengkapi gol ketiga mereka. Malaysia menang 3–1.
Skuad Malaysia menentang China: R. Arumugam (Peter Rajah) (Ong Yu Tiang), Jamal Nasir, Santokh Singh, Soh Chin Ann, Kamaruddin Abdullah (D. Davendran), Khalid Ali (S. Pushpanathan), Shukor Salleh, Bakri Ibni, Abdullah Ali (Tukamin Bahari), James Wong, Zulkifli Hamzah (Hassan Sani)
(Kredit foto asal: Dunia Sukan)
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Harimau Malaya Gets Ready for the 1980 Pre-Olympics
Ahead of the 1980 Moscow Olympic Games Asian Qualifiers, which was held from 21 March – 3 April 1980, Malaysia scheduled several international friendly matches to help the national team prepare. Two of them were against Zurich Grasshoppers and Red Star Belgrade, where Malaysia lost 0-2 and 0-9 respectively. Two more matches awaited them, which were against Saudi Arabia and China on March 12 and March 16.
For a few weeks before the remaining matches, Harimau Malaya had undergone centralised training in a more secluded place than usual, the Royal Navy Training College at Fraser’s Hill. This was because the Malaysia B team were at Wisma FAM preparing for the President’s Gold Cup.
Malaysia felt confident entering the match against Saudi Arabia, leaving their two losses behind them. Zulkifli Hamzah made the first move in the 15th minute after receiving a pass from Ramli Junit within the penalty area, kicking the ball straight into the net.
In the 44th minute, Zulkifli was back to strike and directed the ball past Saudi Arabia’s goalkeeper from 20 metres out to give Malaysia their second goal. Their final goal came two minutes before the match ended through Tukamin Bahari.
Malaysia was in no doubt pleased with their 3-0 win as they showed improvement in their play and were generally fitter after the centralised training. It was the morale booster they needed as the Olympic qualifiers grew closer.
A few days later on March 16, Malaysia met China. The visiting team scored the first goal through Li Fubao in the 55th minute before Malaysia retaliated with three goals.
In the 61st minute, Hassan Sani scored Malaysia’s first goal through a close range shot. Later in the 77th minute, Soh Chin Ann passed the ball to James Wong, whose speed and long strides left the Chinese defenders behind for him to make an easy goal. Seven minutes later, another strategic pass from Soh Chin Ann to Hassan Sani landed Malaysia their third goal. Malaysia won 3–1.
Malaysia line-up against China: R. Arumugam (Peter Rajah) (Ong Yu Tiang), Jamal Nasir, Santokh Singh, Soh Chin Ann, Kamaruddin Abdullah (D. Davendran), Khalid Ali (S. Pushpanathan), Shukor Salleh, Bakri Ibni, Abdullah Ali (Tukamin Bahari), James Wong, Zulkifli Hamzah (Hassan Sani)
(Credit for original photos: Dunia Sukan)
