50 TAHUN LALU 🇲🇾 Jelajah Pertama Harimau Malaya ke China 🇨🇳

Pada tahun 1976, pasukan bola sepak kebangsaan berangkat ke China bagi mengadakan siri perlawanan persahabatan.

Ketua pasukan kebangsaan, Soh Chin Ann, tidak dapat bersama skuad di bawah kendalian jurulatih Jalil Che Din itu kerana beliau digantung permainan selama setahun. Ia kemudiannya dikurangkan kepada 4 bulan setelah rayuan dibuat. Rakan sepasukan Selangor, Mokhtar Dahari, yang baru berusia 22 tahun ketika itu diberi kepercayaan untuk mengambil tempat beliau sebagai kapten.

Seramai 70,000 peminat dilaporkan membanjiri Peking Workers’ Stadium untuk menyaksikan perlawanan bersejarah di mana kedua-dua pasukan kebangsaan bertemu buat kali pertama. Malaysia tewas 0–2 kepada pasukan tuan rumah.

Sebelum perlawanan bersejarah itu, Malaysia turut mengadakan dua perlawanan dengan pasukan wilayah Kwangtung (seri 2–2) dan Perbandaran Shanghai (tewas 1–3).

Malaysia mencatat kemenangan pertama dan terakhir mereka menentang China dalam satu perlawanan persahabatan dalam persiapan Kelayakan Olimpik Moscow 1980 peringkat Asia. Pada 16 Mac 1980, Malaysia menang 3-1 menerusi jaringan gol daripada Hassan Sani (x2) dan James Wong.

Kali terakhir Harimau Malaya bertemu China adalah pada 9 September 2023 juga dalam saingan persahabatan di Stadium Phoenix Hill, Chengdu. Malaysia berjaya mengikat China yang di ranking 80 dengan keputusan 1–1. Pasukan kebangsaan di bawah asuhan jurulatih Kim Pan-gon berada di ranking FIFA 136 berjaya mendapatkan gol menerusi Faisal Halim.

Malam ini, skuad Harimau Malaya (ranking 133) kendalian ketua jurulatih interim, Tan Cheng Hoe akan bertemu China (ranking 96) pada Perlawanan Antarabangsa Tier 1 di Stadium Zhaoqing New District Sports Centre, Guangdong.

Selamat maju jaya, Harimau Malaya!

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🇲🇾 Harimau Malaya’s First Tour to China 🇨🇳

In 1976, the national football team traveled to China for a series of friendly matches.

National team captain, Soh Chin Ann, was unable to join the squad under coach Jalil Che due to a one-year suspension. This was later reduced to four months after an appeal. His Selangor teammate, Mokhtar Dahari, who was only 22 years old at the time, was entrusted with the responsibility in his absence.

An estimated 70,000 spectators packed the Peking Workers’ Stadium to witness this historic encounter, which marked the first time the two national teams had ever faced each other. Malaysia lost 0–2 to the hosts.

Prior to the historic match, Malaysia also played two games against the Kwangtung Provincial Team (2–2) and Shanghai Municipal (1–3 loss).

Malaysia got their first and last win against China during a friendly match in preparation for the 1980 Moscow Olympic Games Asian Qualifiers. On March 16, 1980, Malaysia won 3-1 through goals from Hassan Sani (x2) and James Wong.

The last time Harimau Malaya faced China was on September 9, 2023, in another friendly match held at the Phoenix Hill Stadium in Chengdu. Malaysia managed to hold China, at the time ranked 80th globally, to a 1–1 draw. The national team, thrn under the guidance of coach Kim Pan-gon and ranked 136th by FIFA, secured their goal through Faisal Halim.

Tonight, the Harimau Malaya squad (ranked 133rd), led by interim head coach Tan Cheng Hoe, will face China (ranked 96th) in a Tier 1 International Match at the Zhaoqing New District Sports Centre in Guangdong.