40 Tahun Lalu – Harimau Malaya Merampas Kembali Piala Merdeka
40 tahun yang lalu di Pestabola Merdeka 1986, Malaysia kembali menjadi juara setelah kemarau tujuh tahun. Kekuatan Malaysia pada masa itu terserlah apabila mereka menewaskan India, Thailand, Korea Selatan dan Indonesia untuk menduduki tempat pertama dalam Kumpulan A.
Menantikan mereka di peringkat separuh akhir ialah Jepun, yang menduduki tempat kedua dalam Kumpulan B. Pasukan Jepun menjaringkan gol pertama perlawanan pada minit ke-44 melalui Hiromi Hara sebelum Zainal Abidin Hassan menyamakan kedudukan pada separuh masa kedua. Walau bagaimanapun, kedua-dua pasukan terikat seri setelah 90 minit.
Dollah Salleh muncul sebagai wira perlawanan dengan menjaringkan gol kemenangan hanya seminit sebelum tamat masa tambahan. 30,000 penonton bersorak riuh apabila Malaysia berjaya mara ke pentas akhir Pestabola Merdeka buat kali pertama sejak 1980.
Pemenang Kumpulan B, Czechoslovakia, juga menewaskan lawan separuh akhir mereka India dalam masa tambahan 1-0. Sebagai pasukan pilihan kejohanan, mereka seolah-olah berada di landasan untuk menang. Namun, Malaysia mengejutkan ramai peminat bola sepak di perlawanan akhir yang berlangsung pada 3 Ogos 1986.
Perlawanan bermula dengan perlahan dengan kedua-dua pasukan bermain berhati-hati sebelum Malaysia mencuri perhatian apabila dihadiahkan sepakan penalti pada minit ke-28 dan Wong Hung Nung memberikan mereka gol pertama mereka. Dengan keyakinan pasukan dan momentum semakin meningkat pada separuh masa kedua, Malaysia berjaya menjaringkan dua lagi gol melalui Zainal Abidin dan Dollah Salleh. Harimau Malaya menang 3-0.
Presiden FAM, Sultan Haji Ahmad Shah, menganggap kejuaraan Pestabola Merdeka 1986 sebagai saat paling menggembirakan sejak baginda mengambil alih dua tahun sebelum itu. Ia merupakan kemenangan tambahan memandangkan selepas mengalahkan Jepun di separuh akhir, pasukan bola sepak Malaysia telah menjamin tempat untuk bertanding di Sukan Asia Seoul 1986.
40 YEARS AGO – Harimau Malaya reclaims the Merdeka Cup
40 years ago, at the 1986 Merdeka Tournament, Malaysia were champions once again after a seven-year drought. Malaysia had started the tournament strong after defeating India, Thailand, South Korea and Indonesia to place first in Group A.
Awaiting them at the semi-finals were Japan, who placed second in Group B. The Japanese team scored the first goal of the match in the 44th minute through Hiromi Hara before Zainal Abidin Hassan equalised in the second half. However, both teams were deadlocked at full-time.
Dollah Salleh emerged as the hero of the match after scoring the winning goal just one minute before the end of extra time. The crowd of 30,000 erupted into cheers as Malaysia were off to their first Merdeka Tournament final since 1980.
Group B winners Czechoslovakia also defeated their semi-final opponents India in extra time with a 1-0 defeat. As pre-tournament favourites, it seemed like they were on the track to win. But Malaysia delivered everyone a surprise in the final match on August 3rd, 1986.
While the match was off to a slow start, it came alive when Malaysia was awarded a penalty kick in the 28th minute and Wong Hung Nung gave them their first goal. As their confidence and momentum grew in the second half, Malaysia managed to score twice more through Zainal Abidin and Dollah Salleh. Harimau Malaya won 3-0.
FAM President, Sultan Haji Ahmad Shah, considered it to be the happiest moment since he took over the helm two years prior. It was an added victory considering that after defeating Japan in the semi-finals, Malaysia had also secured a spot at the 1986 Seoul Asian Games.
