#ArkibLegasiLagenda – Kejohanan Juara Kelab Asia 1967
Selangor merupakan kelab pertama untuk mewakili Malaysia di kejohanan kelab Asia dan, sehingga hari ini, kekal sebagai satu-satunya pasukan Malaysia yang berjaya beraksi di peringkat akhir.
Konfederasi Bola Sepak Asia (AFC) mula berbincang untuk menganjurkan sebuah pertandingan antara kelab-kelab terbaik di Asia sejak awal 1960-an lagi. Dengan itu, Kejohanan Kelab Juara Asia diperkenalkan pada tahun 1967.
Pasukan-pasukan yang layak menyertai kejohanan tersebut harus menjadi juara liga atau piala kebangsaan mereka dan dicalonkan oleh persatuan bola sepak kebangsaan masing-masing. Menurut setiausaha AFC, Koe Ewe Teik, pertandingan ini adalah untuk mempromosikan prestasi bola sepak yang semakin berkembang di Asia.
Selangor dipilih untuk mewakili Malaysia di edisi pertama kejohanan setelah menjuarai Piala Malaya 1966. Pada masa itu, Selangor dibarisi oleh legenda-legenda seperti Abdul Ghani Minhat, Abdullah Yeop Nordin, N. Thanabalan, Ibrahim Mydin, Foo Fook Chuan, dan ramai lagi. Pasukan lain termasuk Korea Tungsten Company (Korea Selatan), Hapoel Tel Aviv (Israel), Bangkok Bank (Thailand), China Selatan (Hong Kong) dan Vietnam Customs (Vietnam Selatan).
Perjalanan Selangor bermula dengan keputusan seri tanpa jaringan menentang Vietnam Customs tetapi wakil Malaysia berjaya mengalahkan lawan mereka 2-1 pada perlawanan timbal balik. Mereka kemudian mara ke pusingan kedua dan mengesahkan tempat ke separuh akhir selepas kemenangan 1-0 secara agregat ke atas Bangkok Bank.
Menantikan mereka pada separuh akhir ialah Korea Tungsten Company. Kedua-dua pasukan gagal menjaringkan sebarang gol pada perlawanan pertama. Namun, gol awal Ibrahim Mydin pada minit ke-12 perlawanan kedua berjaya meletakkan Selangor di perlawanan akhir.
Pada perlawanan akhir menentang Hapoel Tel Aviv menyaksikan ketegangan tinggi selepas separuh masa pertama berakhir tanpa jaringan. Walau bagaimanapun, harapan kembali bagi pasukan Merah Kuning apabila Agus Salim menjaringkan gol pada minit ke-54.
Malangnya, gol sendiri daripada Chow Kwai Lam pada minit ke-74 dan sepakan penalti daripada Hapoel sembilan minit kemudian bermakna kejuaraan edisi sulung terlepas daripada genggaman Selangor. Hapoel Tel Aviv berjaya menjadi pasukan pertama untuk menjulang piala Kejohanan Kelab Juara Asia manakala Selangor membawa pulang pingat naib juara (seperti dalam foto).
Malam esok, Selangor FC akan bertemu juara bertahan Buriram United FC di pusingan pertama pentas akhir Piala ASEAN Shopee 2025-26 di halaman sendiri sebelum perlawanan timbal balik pada 27 Mei. Selamat maju jaya!
#ArkibLegasiLagenda – 1967 Asian Champion Club Tournament
Selangor became the first Malaysian club to qualify for an Asian continental club tournament and to this day, remains the only one to reach the finals.
The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) were in talks of bringing together the best clubs in Asia since the early 1960s and thus the Asian Champion Club Tournament was introduced in 1967.
Eligible teams would have to be champions of their national league or cup competitions and be nominated by their respective national football associations. According to AFC secretary Koe Ewe Teik, the competition was to promote the fast-growing standard of football in Asia.
As winners of the 1966 Malaya Cup, Selangor was selected to represent Malaysia for the first edition of the tournament. At the time, Selangor was lined with legends including Abdul Ghani Minhat, Abdullah Yeop Nordin, N. Thanabalan, Ibrahim Mydin, Foo Fook Chuan, and many more. The other teams included Korea Tungsten Company (South Korea), Hapoel Tel Aviv (Israel), Bangkok Bank (Thailand), South China (Hong Kong) and Vietnam Customs (South Vietnam).
Selangor’s journey started with a goalless draw against Vietnam Customs but the Malaysian representatives managed to defeat their opponents 2-1 in the second leg. They then advanced to the second round and secured a spot in the semi-finals after a 1-0 win over Bangkok Bank.
Awaiting them at the semi-finals were Korea Tungsten Company. Both teams failed to deliver any goals in the first leg. When it came down to the second match, Ibrahim Mydin’s early goal in the 12th minute was all that was needed for Selangor to move on to the finals.
In the final match against Hapoel Tel Aviv, tensions were high after a goalless first half. However, hopes returned when Agus Salim scored in the 54th minute. Unfortunately, an own goal from Chow Kwai Lam in the 74th minute and a successful penalty kick from Hapoel nine minutes later cost Selangor the championship. Hapoel Tel Aviv became the first team to lift the Asian Champion Club Tournament trophy while Selangor brought up the runners-up medal (as shown in the photo).
Tomorrow night, Selangor FC will meet defending champions Buriram United FC in the first leg of the 2025-26 Shopee ASEAN Cup finals on their home turf before a second match on 27 May. We wish them all the best.
