Malaysia ‘B’ Berprestasi ‘A’ di Piala Kemerdekaan Vietnam Selatan 1971

Pada hari ini dalam tahun 1971, Malaysia dinobatkan sebagai juara Piala Kemerdekaan Vietnam Selatan buat kali pertama. Dalam edisi ketujuhnya pada masa itu, kemenangan yang dinanti-nantikan pasukan kebangsaan setelah menjadi naib juara sebanyak tiga kali akhirnya terungkap.

Legenda bola sepak negara selaku ketua jurulatih, Abdul Ghani Minhat telah memimpin pasukan ‘B’ Malaysia dengan penuh keyakinan, memilih pemain-pemain handal seperti Rahim Abdullah dan Yap Eng Kok sebagai penyerang, Othman Abdullah dan Bahwandi Hiralal di bahagian pertahanan, serta Wong Hee Kok sebagai penjaga gol.

Siri perlawanan pertama antara empat pasukan yang bersaing, iaitu Thailand, Singapura, Malaysia dan Vietnam Selatan, bertujuan untuk menentukan gandingan separuh akhir. Pada pusingan pertama, Malaysian berjaya mengalahkan tuan rumah Vietnam Selatan 1-0 melalui gol daripada Mohsein Alias.

Tewas kepada Thailand 1-0, Singapura bertentangan Malaysia pada perlawanan separuh akhir. Setelah 90 minit, kedua-dua negara jiran itu terikat 1-1. Malaysia mendahului dengan gol jaringan Yap Eng Kok sebelum Singapura menyamakan kedudukan menerusi Dollah Kassim. 30,000 penonton yang hadir kemudiannya disajikan dengan sepakan penalti yang penuh mendebarkan. Akhirnya, Malaysia menang 4–3.

Menanti mereka di perlawanan akhir ialah juara bertahan, Vietnam Selatan. Pasukan tuan rumah hanya terlepas peluang menjulang trofi itu sekali pada tahun 1967, di mana Australia mengalahkan Korea Selatan untuk gelaran juara. 

Vietnam Selatan mendahului perlawanan pada minit ke-15 melalui sepakan penjaga golnya, Cu Sinh. Bola itu terkena pemain pertahanan Malaysia dan melantun masuk ke gawang gol. Kemudiannya, Malaysia berjaya membalas pada minit ke-65 menerusi Ali Osman. Namun, selepas 20 minit masa tambahan tanpa jaringan diikuti dengan seri 4-4 dalam penentuan penalti, keputusan masih terikat seimbang.

Akhirnya, jurulatih Vietnam Selatan, Leftenan Kolonel Lau Van Phuo memutuskan untuk memberikan kemenangan kepada pasukan Malaysia sebagai tanda persahabatan.

//

OCT 31, 1971: Malaysia ‘B’ Delivers an ‘A’ Performance at the South Vietnam Independence Cup

On this day In 1971, Malaysia were crowned as champions at the South Vietnam Independence Cup. Then, in its seventh edition, the long-awaited victory was finally secured after the national team were runner-up three times since its inception. 

National football legend and head coach Abdul Ghani Minhat led the Malaysian ‘B’ team with confidence utilising players such as Rahim Abdullah and Yap Eng Kok as strikers, Othman Abdullah and Bahwandi Hiralal on defence, as well as Wong Hee Kok as goalkeeper. 

With four teams vying for the trophy, the first series of matches was to determine the semi-final pairings among Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia and South Vietnam. Malaysia met with the hosts in the first round where they defeated South Vietnam 1-0 through a goal from Mohsein Alias. 

After losing to Thailand 1-0, Singapore became Malaysia’s opponents in the semi-final. 90 minutes into the match, the two neighbouring countries found themselves tied at 1-1. Malaysia took the lead after a goal from Yap Eng Kok before Singapore equalised through Dollah Kassim. The 30,000 spectators were then treated to a nail-biting penalty shootout where Malaysia ultimately won 4-3. 

Awaiting them at the finals were South Vietnam as defending champions. The host nation had only missed out on lifting the trophy once in 1967, where Australia defeated South Korea for the championship. 

Vietnam scored the first goal in the 15th minute after a kick by their goalkeeper Cu Sinh hit a Malaysian defender, which then bounced into the goal. Meanwhile, Malaysia retaliated in the 65th minute through Ali Osman. After 20 minutes of extra time followed by a 4-4 draw in a penalty shootout, South Vietnam coach Lt. Col. Lau Van Phuo decided to give Malaysia the win as a gesture of goodwill.