Bersama Olimpian dan Hampir Olimpian – Rahim Abdullah & Kamaruddin Abdullah
“Jung-Moo ke tengah, Khalid, dapat kepada Hassan, masih lagi Hassan, cocok Hassan….”, itulah ulasan Zulkarnain Hassan pada pertandingan akhir Kelayakan Olimpik 1980 yang sudah pastinya diingati oleh peminat bola sepak tanah air.
Sejurus sebelum itu Korea Selatan cuba melancarkan serangan.
“Jung-Moo berhadapan dengan Kamaruddin. Terlepas Kamaruddin (kedengaran tiupan wisel daripada pengadil perlawanan). Jung-Moo, Jung-Moo ditarik oleh Kamarudin dan Kamarudin menerima kad kuning.”
Baru-baru ini, Legasi Lagenda berkesempatan bertemu Kamaruddin Abdullah dan Rahim Abdullah.
Kamaruddin, pemain bek kiri pasukan kebangsaan inilah yang berjaya mematahkan serangan balas pasukan Korea Selatan beberapa detik sebelum Malaysia berjaya mendapatkan gol kemenangan menerusi James Wong yang melayakkan negara ke Sukan Olimpik 1980 di Moscow.
Manakala Rahim, pemain sayap kanan yang berada dalam skuad yang membantu pasukan negara memenangi kejohanan kelayakan Olimpik 1972 yang diadakan di Seoul, Korea Selatan pada tahun 1971. Beliau juga merupakan ketua jurulatih pasukan kebangsaan yang menentang pasukan England pada tahun 1991.
Rahim Abdullah telah dapat beraksi di Sukan Olimpik Munich. Kamaruddin Abdullah pula terpaksa menerima hakikat yang skuad bola sepak negara tidak dapat beraksi di Moscow apabila kerajaan Malaysia membuat keputusan untuk memulau temasya sukan tersebut atas tindakan Rusia menceroboh Afghanistan.
Legasi Lagenda amat menghargai kesudian mereka berdua berkongsi pengalaman perjalanan bola sepak dan terima kasih kerana telah mengharumkan nama negara. Semoga segala pengorbanan dan kejayaan mereka menjadi inspirasi kepada generasi muda.
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“Jung-Moo to the middle, Khalid to Hassan, still with Hassan,” Zulkarnain Hassan commentates during the final match of the 1980 Olympic Qualifiers that is surely remembered by Malaysian football fans.
Just before that, South Korea tried playing an attack.
“Jung-Moo faces Kamaruddin. Kamaruddin missed (referee’s whistle is heard). Jung-Moo, Jung-Moo, pulled by Kamarudin and Kamarudin receives a yellow card.”
Recently, Legasi Lagenda had the opportunity to meet with Kamaruddin Abdullah and Rahim Abdullah.
Kamaruddin, the national team’s fomer left-back, was the one who managed to break the South Korean team’s counter attack a few seconds before Malaysia scored the winning goal through James Wong and thus, led Malaysia to qualify for the 1980 Moscow Olympic Games.
Meanwhile, Rahim, a right winger who was in the squad that helped the national team win the 1972 Munich Olympic Qualiferst held in Seoul, South Korea in 1971. He was also the head coach of the national team that faced England in 1991.
While Rahim Abdullah was able to play in the Munich Olympics, Kamaruddin Abdullah had to accept that the national football squad could not play in Moscow when the Malaysian government decided to boycott the Games due to Russia’s invasion of Afghanistan.
Legasi Lagenda greatly appreciates the willingness of both of them to share their football journey experiences and thank them for making the country proud. May all their sacrifices and successes be an inspiration to the younger generation.