Barcelona Babes di Kelayakan Sukan Olimpik 1992

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Bagi pusingan pertama Kelayakan Asia Sukan Olimpik 1992, Malaysia ditempatkan dalam Kumpulan D bersama Thailand, Korea Selatan, Bangladesh dan Filipina. Saingan kumpulan yang menggunakan format timbal balik diadakan di dua lokasi: Stadium Olimpik Jamsil, Seoul, manakala Malaysia menjadi tuan rumah untuk pusingan kedua di Stadium Merdeka. 

Pasukan ‘Barcelona Babes’ memulakan kempen Olimpik mereka dengan mengalahkan Filipina 5–0 pada perlawanan pertama. Penyerang muda Azman Adnan menjaringkan gol pertama pada minit ke-25 sebelum gol kedua beliau pada minit ke-88, Dua lagi gol dijaringkan oleh Chong King Kong seminit sebelum separuh masa dan pada minit ke-71. 

Mubin Mokhtar, yang tidak bermain pada separuh masa pertama kerana masih sedang pulih daripada kecederaan paha, terus menempah nama apabila dimasukkan dan berjaya meledakkan gol kelima Malaysia pada minit ke-89. 

Azman Adnan terus menunjukkan kehebatan beliau dalam dua perlawanan seterusnya, menjaringkan kedua-dua gol tunggal Malaysia apabila menentang Bangladesh (1–0) sebelum malangnya tewas kepada Thailand (4–1). Walaupun nampaknya momentum pasukan Malaysia semakin perlahan, mereka mendapat sokongan peminat setelah terikat 0–0 dengan pasukan kegemaran kejohanan, Korea Selatan, dalam perlawanan terakhir mereka di Seoul. 

Pusingan kedua timbal balik di Malaysia bermula dengan pasukan tuan rumah mengalahkan Thailand 1–0 melalui jaringan Ong Kim Swee sebelum mereka bertemu dengan Korea Selatan sekali lagi. Namun, kali ini Korea Selatan membuktikan kemampuan mereka dengan kemenangan 2–0. Kedua-dua gol dijaringkan dalam tempoh tiga minit bermula dengan rembatan daripada Noh Jung-yoon pada minit ke-17 diikuti dengan jaringan Seo Jung-won. 

Korea Selatan berjaya menempah tempat ke pusingan seterusnya setelah menewaskan Bangladesh 1–0. Pada malam yang sama, Malaysia berjaya mengulangi kemenangan 5–0 ke atas pasukan Filipina yang memuaskan hati peminat di Stadium Merdeka. Mubin Mokhtar menjaringkan hat-trick pada minit 7’, 51’ dan 58’, manakala dua lagi gol dijaringkan oleh Adnan Ibrahim 14’ dan Chong King Kong 37’. 

Pada perlawanan terakhir mereka, Barcelona Babes tewas kepada Bangladesh 0–1, meletakkan mereka di tempat ketiga secara keseluruhan. Korea Selatan di tempat pertama diikuti dengan Thailand di tempat kedua. Pusingan kedua Kelayakan Asia Sukan Olimpik juga diadakan di Malaysia, yang menyaksikan Qatar, Korea Selatan dan Kuwait layak ke Sukan Olimpik Barcelona 1992. 

Barcelona Babes at the 1992 Olympic Games Qualifiers

For the 1992 Olympic Games Men’s Asian Qualifiers, Malaysia was placed in Group D with Thailand, South Korea, Bangladesh and the Philippines. The first leg was played at Jamsil Olympic Stadium, Seoul while Malaysia hosted the second leg at Merdeka Stadium.

The ‘Barcelona Babes’ were off to a strong start in their Olympic campaign after defeating the Philippines 5–0 in their first match. Young striker Azman Adnan scored the first goal in the 25th minute and again in the 88th. Two more goals were landed by Chong King Kong a minute before half-time and in the 71st minute. 

Mubin Mokhtar, who sat out the first half as he was recovering from a thigh injury, took charge when substituted in and managed to score Malaysia’s fifth goal in the 89th minute.

Azman Adnan continued to shine in the next two matches, scoring both times where Malaysia won against Bangladesh 1–0 before unfortunately losing to Thailand 1–4. Malaysia’s momentum was evidently slowing down but the team earned respect and support after holding tournament favourites South Korea 0–0 in their last match in Seoul. 

The second leg in Malaysia began with hosts defeating Thailand 1–0 through Ong Kim Swee before they met South Korea once again. However, this time the South Korean team proved their capabilities with a 2–0 triumph. Both goals were scored within three minutes of each other starting with a shot by Noh Jung-yoon in the 17th minute followed by Seo Jung-won. 

While South Korea successfully booked their place in the next round of the Qualifiers after a 1–0 win over Bangladesh, Malaysia managed to repeat their 5–0 victory over the Philippines that kept their fans happy at Merdeka Stadium. Three goals were scored by Mubin Mokhtar (7’, 51’ 58’), while two more were a direct hit by Adnan Ibrahim (14’) and Chong King Kong (37’). 

In their last Group D match, Malaysia lost to Bangladesh 0–1, placing them third overall. Earlier, Thailand cemented their second placing and South Korea were first. Round 2 of the Asian Qualifiers were also held in Malaysia, which saw Qatar, South Korea and Kuwait qualifying to the 1992 Barcelona Olympic Games.