Kedah reward five in Suzuki Cup-winning side

ALOR SETAR: The Kedah government have awarded RM5,000 to each of the five players and assistant coach who were part of the victorious national football team who won the AFF Suzuki Cup last month.

Kedah Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Azizan Abdul Razak said the five players were Mohd Khyril Muhymeen Zambri, Mohd Sabre Mat Abu, Khairul Helmi Johari, Mohd Faizal Abu Bakar and Amar Rohidan while former international Tan Cheng Hoe was the assistant to head coach K. Rajagopal.

Azizan said the state government would also consider offering them plots of land as incentives but “an announcement on that will be made later”.

“We may offer them plots of land in Pokok Sena because the area is developing. We will make a decision and announcement soon,” he told reporters after chairing a state exco meeting here yesterday. 

  

Malaysia put up strong show to lift AFF title for the first time

MALAYSIA dished out yet another strong performance and were crowned champions of the Asean Football Federation (AFF) championship at the Gelora Bung Karno Stadium in Jakarta last night.

They were beaten 1-2 by Indonesia in the second-leg final match but a 3-0 victory in the first-leg encounter at the National Stadium in Bukit Jalil on Wednesday proved to be enough for them, claiming the Suzuki Cup 4-2 on aggregate.

It was the first time Malaysia won the AFF championship title since the biennial tournament was introduced in 1996.

Malaysia played against a desperate Indonesia last night in front of 95,000 spectators.

And they made it more difficult for Indonesia to save the tie with a specatacular goal by Mohd Safee Sali in the 53rd minute. Safee, who scored a brace in the first leg, took his tally five goals and won the Golden Boot.

Muhammad Nasuha equalised in the 71st minute and Malaysian centreback Mohd Muslim Ahmad nodded in an own goal to give Indonesia victory on the night.

The young Malaysian side kept their composure and showed great determination to emerge as the champions.

Indonesia were without their inspirational flanker Okto Maniani, who was out on suspension, while striker Yongky Ari Bowo was not in the starting list due to injury.

Their replacements were Arif Suyono and Irfan Bachdim.

As expected, Indonesia, who had beaten Malaysia 5-1 in the opening Group A match at the same venue, came charging from the first whistle. But the Malaysian defence, marshalled by Mohd Muslim Ahmad and Mohd Fadhli Shas, did well to keep a tight leash on the two Indonesian dangermen Christian Gonzales and Irfan Bachdim.

Indonesia won a penalty when Mohd Sabree Abu handled the ball in the 15th minute. But much to their disappointment, skipper Firman Utina’s tame shot was easily saved goalkeeper Khairul Fahmi Che Mat.

The Indonesians, desperate for an early goal, kept on pressing but Khairul stood out, warding off at least five attempts from them before the teams went for the break.

Malaysia looked dangerous on the counter attack. Against the run of play Mohd Ashaari Shamsuddin sent a long through ball for Safee to chase and the Selangor hitman finished off clinically put Malaysia in front in the 54th minute.

Indonesia now needed five goals to beat Malaysia and they had to take desperate measures and introduced their aging star, Bambang Pamungkas, for Irfan Bachdim at the hour mark.

Despite a goal down, Indonesia never gave up and their persistence paid off when defender Mohd Nasuha hit home the rebound off a save by goalkeeper Khairul in the 72nd minute.

Then with the clock ticking away, Mohd Muslim handed them a goal off a goalmouth melee in the 87th minute.

Fairy-tale ending for Malaysia

THEY came in as outsiders and went out with a fairy-tale ending.

Nobody gave Malaysia a chance to get past the group stage of the Asean Football Federation (AFF) championship, especially with a young and inexperience side.

Coach K. Rajagopal was a proud man after his boys were crowned as champions for the first time in the biennial tournament, which was introduced since 1996.

“This is a great achievement for a team made up of international senior rookies,” said Rajagopal, whose side were involved in a one-month battle in the championship.

He said that many wrote them off after the humiliating defeat by Indonesia (1-5) in the opening group match in Jakarta on Dec 1.

And few had faith in the young side’s ability to bounce back and surprise the more established and fancied sides like Vietnam and Thailand.

But Malaysia held three-time winners Thailand to a goalless draw in their second group match.

And then, they knocked out defending champions Vietnam 2-0 on aggregate in the semi-finals.

In their other group match, they thrashed Laos 5-1.

Last night, they beat favourites Indonesia 4-2 on aggregate to win the Suzuki Cup.

Rajagopal said that his boys held on well in the first half and were fortunate that Indonesian skipper Firman Utina failed to convert a penalty to give his side an early goal in the 15th minute.

“Of course, if he had scored the goal, it would have spurred his side to come for more,” said Rajagopal at the post-match conference.

Indonesian coach Alfred Riedl said that they were the better team but Malaysia won the title.

“It was unlucky ... we missed so many sitters,” said the Austrian.

Malaysain skipper Safiq Rahim said that it was like going to war.

“We came in armoured vehicles. It was a different atmosphere altogether but we prevailed and did not succumb to pressure like we did in the opening game,” he said.

“We should have won but they were pounding at us and we just could not hold on.”

Malaysia set sight on 2015 Asia Cup Finals

MALAYSIA have set sight on bigger goals – to qualify for the Finals of the Asia Cup tournament.

After having made heads turn in regional competitions with back-to-back victories in the SEA Games (Under-23) and Asean Football Federation (AFF) championship (senior international), they want to scale bigger heights.

Team manager Datuk Subahan Kamal said that the next target for Malaysia would be to qualify for the 2015 Asia Cup Finals.

“I feel that it is time for us to raise the bar to the Asian level,” he said.

Malaysian football has been on the rise since their Under-23 side under the charge of coach K. Rajagopal won the SEA Games gold medal in Laos last December.

It was the first time in 20 years that the team emerged as the champions in the biennial regional Games.

Last night, Malaysia won the AFF championship title for the first time since the biennial tournament was introduced in 1996.

Malaysia, featuring in only their second final since finishing as runners-up to Thailand in the inaugural tournament in Singapore 14 years ago, defeated Indonesia 4-2 on aggregate to lift the Suzuki Cup.

Subahan said that Malaysia would not rest on their laurel and would work hard to achieve their next goal in the Asia Cup after failing to get past the group stage early this year, losing to the United Arab Emirates (0-6 on aggregate) and Uzbekistan (2-6).

“We have to prepare this team by giving them more exposure and competitive matches,” said Subahan, who is also a vice-president of the FA of Malaysia (FAM).

“It is not sufficient for the players to feature for their respective teams at home. This group of players have to be kept together for maturity before the 2015 Asian Cup.”

Rajagopal has worked wth a young set of players with an average of 22 years in the present national team.

Centreback Mohd Fadhli Shas is 19 while goalkeeper Khairul Fahmi Che Mat, defenders Mohd Muslim Ahmad, Mahali Jasuli andMohd Faizal Mohd, midfielder K. Gurusamy and striker Izzaq Faris Ramlan are all 21-years-old.

Subahan said that continuity was also important for Malaysia to make waves at the next SEA Games and AFF tournament.

“We don’t want this to be a one off thing. We have to set a benchmark and will have to work on raising the bar for the players all the time. Nobody gave these boys a chance but we in the FAM worked hard for this success,” he said.

“Hopefully, our national team ranking improves and this will give us better recognition among the Asian giants to come and play with us. Nobody wants to play with a low ranked team. That is why we can’t get matches for our boys.

“Perhaps, this would make the others take notice and they should be looking at us on a different perspective from now.”

Malaysia last played in the Asia Cup Finals in 2007 by virtue of being one of the four South-East Asian hosts for the group stage of the tournament together with Vietnam, Indonesia and Thailand. Only Vietnam made it to the quarter-finals.

For the record, Malaysia’s big moments in football were when they won the bronze at the Asian Games in 1962 (Jakarta) and 1974 (Teheran).

Malaysia played in the 1972 Munich Olympics and also qualified for the 1980 edition but did not compete as the country joined a boycott of the Moscow Games.

Raja’s charges game for tense showdown

MALAYSIA will not be intimidated by the volatile Indonesian fans in the second-leg final of the Asean Football Federation (AFF) championship at the Gelora Bung Karno Stadium in Jakarta tonight.

Coach K. Rajagopal said that his young team would have full concentration on the battle on the pitch and he was optimistic that with a 3-0 cushion from the first leg, they would succeed in the campaign to win the Suzuki Cup.

“We are not here to play for a draw. If we can get one goal more, it will heap more burden on Indonesia,” said Rajagopal in front of a packed media at a pre-match conference at The Sultan Hotel yesterday.

However, there are concerns over the “tense” situation ahead of the final match of the tournament.

Just a couple of days ago, a group of unruly supporters rioted and damaged several facilities at the stadium vicinity because they could not get tickets for the match.

The AFF issued a stern warning to the All-Indonesian Football Federation that the second-leg final might be held on neutral ground if there was more of such crowd violence.

There are also fears of retaliation by the Indonesian fans against the behaviour of their Malaysian counterparts in the first-leg match in Bukit Jalil on Sunday, sparking off reactions that Malaysia won the game unfairly.

Rajagopal tried to clear the air over the incident in Bukit Jalil when play was stopped for six minutes after Indonesian goalkeeper Markus Harison complained against fans using laser beam lights to shoot at his face to distract him.

“This matter has gone out of proportion and one has to portray sportsmanship when they lose and not make excuses,” he said.

Rajagopal added that Indonesia coach Alfred Rield was professional and said that the turning point of the first-leg match was the mistake of his defender, which resulted in Malaysia scoring the first goal through Mohd Safee Sali in the 60th.

“He (Riedl) offered no excuses for the defeat. Neither did I when we lost to Indonesia 1-5 (in the opening group match at the Gelora Bung Karno Stadium on Dec 1).

“I accepted it and took the heavy defeat like a man,” he said.

“I am sure our goalkeeper encountered the same problem then when we lost to Indonesia but we did not complain.

“We took the defeat graciously and bounced back to enter the final.

“It is unfair to accuse us now (of winning the first-leg final unfairly) and call us all kinds of names when we beat them on a level playing field.”

He hoped everyone concerned would put the matter to rest and let the two teams get on to play the game to decide the Asean champions.

“Let’s focus on the game. It’s all about entertainment and I hope there is no outside interference,” said Rajagopal.

Malaysia will not have the services of two players for the match. Midfielder Mohd Amirulhadi Zainal and rightback Mahali Jasuli are out on suspension and Rajagopal said that there were capable replacements in the team for the duo.

“We have managed to cope with a whole lot of injury problems with 10 key players not available for this tournament. I have other options to play in the team,” said Rajagopal, who is expected to start with Mohd Ashaari Shamsuddin in midfield and Mohd Sabree Mat Abu at rightback.

Indonesian team manager Andi Darusallam Tabusalla hoped the fans would behave and show sportsmanship.

“This is football and we are here to play football, not anything else,” said Andi.

The warm-up session for the Malaysian team yesterday was disrupted because a large group of fans turned up near the training venue (Senayan C).

They opted to train at a new venue but had to call it off after getting stuck in a traffic jam. They returned to work out at the hotel grounds.

Malaysia are bidding to win the AFF title for the first time since the tournament’s inception in 1996.

The young team have given gallant shows since the opening defeats by Indonesia. They drew 0-0 with Thailand and defeated Laos 5-1 in the other group matches.

Rajagopal’s boys went on to eliminate defending champions Vietnam 2-0 on aggregate in the semi-finals before handing Indonesia their first defeat in the tournament.

Indonesia had in previous matches beaten Laos (6-0), Thailand (2-1) and the Philippines (1-0 in both legs of the semi-finals).

Indonesia have also not won the Asean title before.
  

Subahan reminds players of failure in 2004

TEAM manager Datuk Subahan Kamal has warned the Malaysian players not to take Indonesia lightly when the two teams meet in the Suzuki Cup second-leg final in Jakarta tonight.

He reminded them of Malaysia’s failure in the semi-finals of the 2004 championship (then for the Tiger Cup) when they were beaten 3-5 on aggregate by Indonesia.

Malaysia won the first-leg match 2-1 in Jakarta but were then beaten 1-4 on home ground in the return match.

Subahan added that the boys were in high spirits after scoring a stunning 3-0 win over Indonesia in the first-leg final in Bukit Jalil on Sunday.

“What we did to Indonesia in our home match, they are capable of doing the same at their home here,” warned Subahan yesterday.

He added that the players had to be cautious because Indonesia would come charging at them from the first whistle.

“They need three goals to drag us into extra time.

“They have already beaten us here (1-5) in the group match.

“It is important for our boys not to crack and concede an early goal,” said Subahan.

“The players’ mental approach has to be strong.

“They are bound to use all tactics in the book to break us down. We have to be firm and not to be intimidated by their fans.”

Lifting the Suzuki Cup tonight will be one for Malaysia to cherish as they have not emerged as champions in the series since the inaugural tournament in 1996.

Indonesia went into the final against Malaysia as the favourite after a 100% win record in five matches. They are now the underdogs to win the Cup tonight.

Indonesia will miss suspended live wire Okto

INDONESIA will be without a live wire for the second-leg final match against Malaysia tonight.

Okto Maniani (pic), who has an electrifying pace to trouble any defence, is out on suspension. And team manager Andi Darusallam Tabusalla said that it was a pity to lose a player of his calibre for a crucial match in which Indonesia have to make up a 0-3 deficit.

“There is nothing we can do about it. Okto cannot play because he has to serve suspension,” said Andi at the pre-match conference yesterday.

Okto was among the scorers in Indonesia 5-1 rout of Malaysia in the opening Group A match in Jakarta on Dec 1.

The nippy Okto, who has the same playing style as former Indonesian star Ellie Aiboi, was unlucky to pick up a second booking in the first-leg final in Bukit Jalil on Sunday.

Okto had the pace and threatened the Malaysian defence but could not find the breakthrough in the game, which Malaysia won 3-0.

Arif Auyono is expected to come in as a replacement for Okto the second-leg match.

However, Indonesia will be counting on their Uruguay-born striker Christian Gonzales to lead the charge for goals.

Gonzales did have a couple of chances at goal in the first-leg match but failed to make them count. He also created openings for fellow striker Yongki Ari Bowo.

Indonesia have another option to play in their search for goals.

They can still count on celebrated veteran striker Bambang Pamungkas.

The five key elements

No. 1: IN SAFE HANDS GOALKEEPER Khairul Fahmi Che Mat

SINCE the 21-year-old Khairul made the first 11, Malaysia have conceded only one goal in five outings.

Mohd Sharbinee Allawee started in the opening group match against Indonesia (Dec 1), which Malaysia lost 1-5. But Khairul, playing in his first senior international tournament, had been beaten only once in the 5-1 win over Laos.

Khairul has had a successful season, having won the Malaysia Cup with Kelantan and was named best goalkeeper and young player of the year in the national football awards last month.

He was outstanding in the Malaysian Under-23 squad at the Guangzhou Asian Games last month. He showed no nerves and pulled off several daring saves in matches against Asian giants Japan (0-2) and Iran (1-3).

No. 2: IN ORGANISATION CENTREBACK Muslim Ahmad

THE Malaysian defence was rated as the weakest link at the start of the tournament.

All four key players in the backline were not available for national duty because of injuries. This thrusted the Harimau Muda (national Under-21) defender into playing the key role in the heart of defence with the baby of the squad, Mohd Fadhli Shas, who is only 19.

The flankbacks, Mohd Asraruddin Putra Omar (left) and Mohd Sabree Mat Abu (right), also lacked international experience.

But the back four have tightened their discipline in defending, especially Mohd Muslim, who is more organised and plays with an air of confidence for a rookie senior international. He has been dominant in dealing with aerial threats.

The Malaysian defence will again be in for a major test against an Indonesia side having to make up a 0-3 deficit in front of their home fans.

No. 3: IN COMMAND SKIPPER Safiq Rahim

THERE is no doubt that Malaysia’s strongest department is their midfield, who has Safiq Rahim as the general of an enterprising unit comprising Amar Rohidan (central) and flankers S. Kunalan (left) and Mohd Amirulhadi Zainal (right).

But Amirul is suspended for the match and the likely replacement is “Baby-face Assassin” Mohd Ashaari Shamsuddin.

Coach K. Rajagopal has given information to Safiq in carrying out his task in the engine room in a more defensive approach. Malaysia have a three-goal cushion and they will have shut out Indonesia right from the start in midfield battle.

No. 4: IN WIZARDRY STRIKER Norsharul Idlan Talaha

HE is a gem of a player, who has been described by coach K. Rajagopal as “special” in the national team.

Norsharul has a lot of tricks up his sleeves and has been a major threat to many teams with his flashes of brilliance inside the box. The 24-year-old Kelantan striker has used his trademark “sudden dash and burst of speed” into the box from the side lines with much success.

It was a key element in helping Malaysia win the SEA Games gold medal for the first time in 20 years in Vientiane last December. Malaysia need him to weave his magic against in the Indonesian box tonight.

No. 5: IN KILLER INSTINCT STRIKER Mohd Safee Sali

A LOT will be on Mohd Safee Sali’s shoulders to kill off the Indonesian challenge for the Suzuki Cup.

The Selangor striker, who scored a brace in the first-leg final to take his tally to four goals, will be counted on to do the damage on Indonesia again.

One goal more for Malaysia tonight should be game over for Indonesia. And Safee, who forms a lethal combination with Norsharul, has the speed and the qualities to finish them off, even from aerial challenges, to give Malaysia a first-ever AFF title since the tournament’s inception in 1996.

Indonesians take notice as Malaysia roll into Jakarta

NATIONAL coach K. Rajagopal, now fondly known as ‘King Raja’, is not only a celebrity at home but also in Indonesia.

The former international is called ‘Pak Raja’ by the Indonesian media and has been enjoying celebrity status since Malaysia made waves to enter the final of the Asean Football Federation (AFF) championship.

On Sunday night, Rajagopal and his boys put a hand on the Suzuki Cup after beating Indonesia 3-0 in the first-leg final at the National Stadium in Bukit Jalil.

The team took the earliest flight out of Kuala Lumpur (9.10am) for Jakarta yesterday for the second-leg final tomorrow.

The coach and players were given a heroes welcome on board flight MH711.

The flight captain made the announcement that the Malaysian team was on board and they wished them success in their mission to succeed in the tournament, which they have never won since its inception in 1996.

Rajagopal as cool he can be was still cautious of the remaining 90 minutes.

“We are reaching a climax in the tournament and don’t want to ruin it. We will stay focused and get what is required in the second-leg to win the Suzuki Cup,” he said.

“Of course, we don’t plan to sit on the three goals and let them come at us to score.”

Some of the Malaysian passengers on board also congratulated Rajagopal and his boys for their heroics to down Indonesia, who had earlier thrashed them 5-1 in the group stage.

The players looked exhausted and most of them slept on the more than two-hour journey.

On arrival at the Soekarno-Hatta Airport in Jakarta, the team were greeted by a small band of Malaysian supporters (students) with the “Jalur Gemilang” and several banners.

“Can you imagine what football can do to someone?” said Rajagopal, who was being photographed by Indonesians.

The players had not had enough rest but yet they were sporting to granted interviews by the media and also obliged well-wishers, who wanted to be photographed with them.

The team will get a deserved rest before they get down to serious business in their final workout today.
  

‘Baby-face Assassin’ set to get big break

SUPERSUB Mohd Ashaari Shamsuddin, nicknamed the ‘Baby-face Assassin’, has scored on his return to the national team after a lapse of two years.

The Golden Boot winner in the M-League this season was a last-minute inclusion for the AFF tournament following injuries to regular forwards Mohd Zaquan Adha Abdul Razak, Ahmad Fakri Saarani and S. Chanturu.

On Sunday, coach K. Rajagopal gave Mohd Ashaari his first break to play in the tournament.

And he went on to score the second goal in Malaysia’s 3-0 win over Indonesia in the first-leg final.

“I am lucky to get this break and I hope to get more playing time,” said the soft-spoken lanky striker from Terengganu.

Norsharul Idlan Talaha created the chance when he beat his marker and found an unmarked Ashaari lurking in the box to hit a first-timer past goalkeeper Markus Harison.

In fact, Ashaari is set to get a big break to start in the second-leg match tomorrow following the exit of Mohd Amirulhadi Zainal because of suspension for two yellow card offences.

“If given the chance, I will give my best.

“The goal against Indonesia has raised my confidence.

“I have come from a long layoff and I hope to get back on the right track,” he said.

Ashaari scored in his first senior international outing against India two years ago.

Then, he also came in as a substitute to level the score at 1-1.

He made a name for himself two years ago when he emerged as the top scorer in Sukma (Malaysia Games) with 11 goals to help Terengganu win the gold medal.

In the same year, he scored nine goals for the Turtles in the Super League.

Indonesian fans still in a daze after heavy defeat

INDONESIAN football fans are in a daze following their national team’s shocking defeat by Malaysia in the first-leg final of the Asean Football Federation (AFF) championship.

Many had expected the more polished Indonesian side under coach Alfred Riedl to run riot over the young Malaysians in the same way for a 5-1 victory in a group match in Jakarta on Dec 1.

Indonesia had gone on a flawless run to reach the final. They also thrashed Laos 6-0 and eliminated fancied Thailand 2-1 in Group A. And in the semi-finals score 1-0 win over surprise package the Philippines in both legs.

But Malaysia brought them down to earth. The big defeat for Indonesia had somewhat taken away the excitement and thrill from the fans, who had placed high hopes on the team to claiming a first-ever AFF championship title .

There was not much fanfare around town in Jakarta yesterday. But there were the old faithful, the petty street traders, who put Indonesian jerseys on sale in the vicinity of the entrance to the Gelora Bung Karno Stadium.

The Indonesian fans are expected to be back in force at the stadium tomorrow to provide their team a final push as they bid to overturn a 0-3 deficit.

The AFF confirmed that a total of 70,000 tickets had been sold to the fans. The would also be three giants screens near the stadium to view the match for the Suzuki Cup.

No time to relax, says skipper Safiq

SKIPPER Safiq Rahim has reminded his team-mates not to take their feet off the pedal for another 90 minutes when they play against Indonesia in the second-leg final of the Suzuki Cup Asean Football Federation (AFF) championship in Jakarta tomorrow.

Malaysia exacted sweet revenge over Indonesia when they scored an astonishing 3-0 win in the first-leg match at the National Stadiuim in Bukit Jalil on Sunday.

It was payback from Indonesia, who thrashed Malaysia 5-1 in a group match at the Gelora Bung Karno Stadium on Dec 1.

“We have got back even with Indonesia and now we have another 90 minutes to show that we are the better side. We are back at the same stadium and we must not get intimidated by their volatile fans and concede soft goals,” said Safiq.

The Malaysian backline, comprising Mohd Muslim Ahmad, Mohd Fadhli Shas, Mohd Asraruddin Putra and Mohd Sabree Mat Abu, were rated the weakest link in the squad at the star of the competition. But the quartet have gained in strength and with each match and have only conceded only one goal since the rout by Indonesia.

In the other Group A matches, Malaysia drew 0-0 with three-time winners Thailand before thrashing Laos 5-1. to advance to the semi-finals. Malaysia went on to eliminate defending champions Vietnam 2-0 on aggregate.

Safiq hopes the players will not be drawn into taking the return match against Indonesia easily just because they have three-goal cushion.

“It is a match to win the Suzuki Cup and we have to be on our toes. There can be no mistakes,” he said.

Kunalan bent on ending year on a high

WINGER S. Kunalan is bent on scoring a goal in the second-leg final of the Asean football tournament in Jakarta tomorrow.

“One more goal will kill them off. And I hope to be the one to score that goal,” said Kunalan, who is seeking to claim a first senior international goal since he took a regular spot in the national Under-23 squad for the Laos SEA Games last December.

“The last goal I scored for Malaysia (Under-23) was against Cambodia in the SEA Games. I wish to end the year with a goal to my name in this senior national tournament. It has been too long that I have not scored and getting one is a challenge that I will take against Indonesia,” said Kunalan.

If Malaysia score, they will gain the added advantage on away goals.

Kunalan was a menace to Indonesia in the first-leg match.

The nippy Negri Sembilan player gave the opponents anxious moments with his slick moves and turns when on the ball.

But Kunalan hopes to go one step better tomorrow – to score a goal for Malaysia.

“We lost to them 1-5 in the group stage. It was noisy then and I we will be out to silence them on Wednesday,” he said.

The pint-sized international from Semenyih was part of the squad who won the 2009 Malaysia Cup title for Negri for the first time in 61 years. Barely a month later in Vientiane, he was in the Malaysian team who won the SEA Games gold medal for the first time in 20 years.

Malaysia have not won the AFF title since the tournament was introduced 14 years ago.