Kelayakan Piala Dunia 1986 – Cabaran Harimau Malaya Di Seoul
Sebelum pasukan bola sepak kebangsaan Malaysia bertolak ke Korea Selatan untuk perlawanan kumpulan terakhir Kelayakan Piala Dunia Asia 1986, peminat tempatan diseru untuk memberi sokongan apabila mereka bertemu pasukan tuan rumah. Ini termasuk agensi pelancongan yang mempromosikan lawatan dan tawaran menarik untuk membawa peminat bola sepak ke Seoul bagi menyaksikan perlawanan penentuan tersebut.
Malaysia, yang berada di kedudukan teratas Kumpulan 3A, hanya perlu seri. Sementara itu, Korea Selatan di tempat kedua mesti memastikan kemenangan untuk mara ke pusingan seterusnya.
Sehari sebelum mereka berlepas ke Seoul, pasukan Malaysia bermain perlawanan persahabatan menentang kelab bola sepak Jepun, Hitachi. Disebabkan kecederaan yang dialami oleh pemain utama Malaysia, ketua jurulatih Mohamad Bakar terpaksa mengubah skuad kendaliannya. Ia terbukti menjadi perlawanan latihan yang berbaloi apabila Nasir Yusof berjaya menjaringkan gol pertama pada minit ke-12 sebelum S. Koyama menyamakan kedudukan untuk Hitachi. Perlawanan tamat 1-1.
Perlawanan timbal balik antara Malaysia dan Korea Selatan berlangsung pada 19 Mei 1985 di Stadium Chamsil. Malaysia menghadapi 90 minit yang sukar di hadapan mereka dengan suasana gemuruh daripada penyokong Korea Selatan dan beberapa pemain yang tidak dapat bermain termasuk Serbegeth Singh, Ahmad Yusof, Wong Hung Nung dan penjaga gol R. Arumugam.
Malangnya, Malaysia tewas 0-2 kepada pasukan tuan rumah. Sepakan penalti awal oleh kapten Korea Selatan, Park Chang Sun berjaya melepasi penjaga gol Malaysia, Ong Yu Tiang. Sembilan minit kemudian, Yu Tiang tertewas sekali lagi apabila Cho Min Kook memberikan Korea Selatan gol kedua mereka melalui tandukan.
Ketinggalan dua gol, Malaysia membawa masuk penyerang Khan Hung Meng pada minit ke-30 untuk menggantikan pemain tengah P. Dharmalingam. Dengan itu, mereka bermain dengan empat pemain serangan termasuk Dollah Salleh, Zainal Abidin Hassan dan Mokhtar Dahari, yang kembali beraksi setelah empat tahun tidak menyarung jersi Harimau Malaya. Namun, usaha mereka tidak cukup untuk merealisasikan impian bermain di Piala Dunia Mexico 1986.
(Sumber foto asli: Dunia Sukan)
//
Before the Malaysian national football team headed to South Korea for the last group match of the 1986 World Cup Asia Qualifiers, there was a call out for fans to join the trip and show their support. This included travel agencies promoting tours and attractive deals to get football fans to Seoul to watch the deciding match.
Malaysia, who was at the top of Group 3A only needed a draw. Meanwhile, South Korea in second place must secure a win to advance to the next round.
One day before the national team left for Seoul, they played a friendly match against Japanese football club Hitachi. Due to injuries sustained by Malaysia’s key players, head coach Mohamad Bakar had to reshuffle his team, adding new names into the mix. It proved to be a worthwhile practice match with Nasir Yusof scoring the first goal in the 12th minute before S. Koyama equalised for Hitachi. The match ended 1-1.
The second leg between Malaysia and South Korea took place on May 19, 1985 at Chamsil Stadium. Malaysia faced a tough 90 minutes ahead of them with roaring South Korea fans in attendance and a few players missing including Serbegeth Singh, Ahmad Yusof, Wong Hung Nung and goalkeeper R. Arumugam.
Unfortunately, Malaysia lost 0-2 to the hosts. An early penalty kick by South Korea’s captain Park Chang Sun stumped Malaysian goalkeeper Ong Yu Tiang. Nine minutes later, Yu Tiang was defeated again when Cho Min Kook gave South Korea their second goal with a header.
Trailing behind, Malaysia brought in striker Khan Hung Meng in the 30th minute to replace midfielder P. Dharmalingam, bringing their total to four on the offence including Dollah Salleh, Zainal Abidin Hassan, and Mokhtar Dahari, who had not played for Harimau Malaya in four years. However, their efforts were not enough and the dream of playing at the 1986 Mexico World Cup was shattered.
