Sunday, November 25, 2012

My Harimau Malaya XI


We shall expect Singapore to play on the counter leaving Malaysia to seize the initiative. Datuk K. Rajagobal and Radojko Avramovic may be happy with a draw as the two arch-rivals open their AFF Suzuki Cup campaign in a few hours.

My pick for the Malaysian XI...

1. Farizal Marlias (GK)
Third keeper in the 2008 edition, first-choice during the 2009 SEA Games before losing his place to Sharbinee Alawee Ramli, Farizal missed the 2010 edition but seems likely to start ahead of Khairul Fahmi Che Mat, the darling of the nation when he saved a penalty in Jakarta in the final, second leg two years ago.

2. Bunyamin Umar (RB)
Handed his first international cap as a 19-year old by B. Sathianathan against Bahrain in 2007 which culminated with his first international goal in a 4-1 defeat, Bunyamin was a key figure in Rajagobal's Under-20 side that advanced to the Asian Under-20 championship in India in 2006. Able to play anywhere across the park. Lim Teong Kim once told him to go to Europe after watching him play in the Champions Youth Cup in 2007.

3. Aidil Zafuan Abdul Radzak (RCB)
Missed the previous edition but the defence is built around the 25-year old who has been part of the national set-up since age 14 in 2001.

4. Mohd Fadhli Shas (LCB)
A surprise inclusion who featured alongside Muslim Ahmad in the absence of Nasriq Baharom and Aidil in 2010.  Will be around for a long time.

5. Zubir Azmi (LB)
Given a chance by Ong Kim Swee to man the left flank, Zubir will tussle with Azmi Muslim for the slot which hitherto had been Asraruddin Putra Omar's domain.

6. Amar Rohidan (CM)
A member of  Rajagobal's Under-20 side in 2006, Amar screens the defence and does the dirty work before distributing the ball to the flanks or Safiq.

7. Safiq Rahim (CM)
Picked by Norizan Bakar for the Asian Games and the AFF Cup in 06/07, his partnership with Amar is the focal point of Rajagobal's plans. In a 4-2-3-1 formation, Safiq has to play the fetch and carry role, leaving the imagination to Norshahrul Idlan.

8. Khyril Muhymeen Zambri (RW)
His fourth successive tournament since bursting into the scene in 2006 with Safiq, Khyril or Meen may well be the match-winner for Harimau Malaya, having rediscovered the form which propelled him to the top as a teenager.

9. Norshahrul Idlan Talaha (FW)
If he is in the mood, Matyo could wreak havoc on any defence in the region. If not, his tournament could be shortlived.

10. Safee Sali (FW)
The forward who served Jorvan Vieira, Rajagobal, Allan Harris and Bertalan Bisckei, Safee was given his first taste of senior international by Norizan against New Zealand in 2006. Reinstated by Rajagobal a year after he was installed as chief coach for the training camp in Turkey in mid 2010, Safee is trying hard to deliver.

11. S. Kunanlan (LW)
A former cross country runner who will give his all even if he lacks the goalscoring touch.

Post script:

Of the 22 men, 10 featured in 2010. Seven likely to start.

The subs:

12. Baddrol Bakhtiar (FW)
Able to play as spearhead, as deep-lying forward or on the flanks.

13. Ahmad Fakri Saarani (FW)
Bound for Portugal, Fakri's pace will trouble any defence.

14. Ahmad Hazwan Bakri (FW)
Natural goalscorer.

15. Wan Zack Haikal Wan Noor (RW)
Winger who can add pace.

16. Azamuddin Akil (RW)
Had a good season but recalled only after Zaquan Adha's injury.

17. Mahalli Jasuli (RB)
Right back whose cross was met by Safee for Malaysia's third goal in the first leg final in 2010, Mahalli's attacking instincts may prove to be crucial.

18. Azmi Muslim (LB)
Watch out for his long-range effort with his left peg.

19. Shakir Shaari (CM)
A central midfelder in the Malaysian Under-20 side under Rajagobal in 2004, Shakir has to play second fiddle to Safiq and Amar.

20. Gary Steven Robbat (CM)
A hard-running box-to-box midfielder who can add a different dimension.

21. Faizal Muhammad (CB)
Reliable substitute in central defence.

22. Khairul Fahmi Che Mat (GK)
The poster boy of Malaysian football.

Saturday, November 17, 2012

Menyangkal dakwaan aku silap pada AFF 2010

Ramai menyangka dan menuduh aku antara pengkritik yang meletakkan peluang dan prospek pasukan negara menjulang Piala AFF pada 2010 sebagai sifar. Paparan di bawah menyatakan sebaliknya. Ini bukan menunjuk atau mengungkit, tetapi sekadar catatan sejarah buat pengunjung blog cabuk ini.


Rembat! Kosmo, November 2010, sebelum sepak mula Piala AFF 2010. Aku menyingkap pencapaian tujuh jurulatih kebangsaan sebelum K Rajagobal sejak edisi sulung dilancarkan pada 1996 sambil menyatakan harapan FINAL JADI BURUAN.



Rembat Kosmo!, Sabtu, 25 September, 2010. Hah, 66 hari sebelum sepak mula, dalam previu Piala Suzuki AFF, antara lain aku menulis Rajagobal memecah tradisi apabila menjadi jurulatih pertama sejak Trevor Hartley menjuarai Sukan SEA. Jadi tidak mustahil anak kelahiran Setapak ini mengukir sejarah sekali lagi! 66 hari beb, awal-awal lagi tu!


Rembat! Kosmo 18 Disember 2010. Mengimbas Play of the Day Syamsuri Mustaffa yang menjaringkan gol terus daripada goalkick pada Sukan SEA 2003, bagi menaikkan semangat pemain sambil mengagak prospek pasukan negara menjelang separuh akhir kedua menentang Vietnam dalam Piala AFF


Rembat Kosmo! edisi 25 Disember 2010, memaparkan gandingan Safee Sali dan Norshahrul Idlan Talaha dengan tajuk yang lazim diperkatakan di kalangan peminat seiring dengan kata-kata keramat di jersi. Sehari sebelum final pertama di Stadium Nasional, Bukit Jalil


Surat Terbuka aku kepada K. Rajagobal lengkap dengan alamat Wisma FAM dalam ruangan Gelecek, Rembat Kosmo edisi yang sama, antara lain aku sebut "Saudara tentu ingat bagaimana saya mempertahankan pasukan Bawah 23 tahun pimpinan saudara yang menewaskan pasukan progam realiti MyTeam pada 28 Mei, 2006...apabila barisan anak buah saudara diherdik, dimaki dan dicaci. Keesokannya saya tulis dalam The Malay Mail, bagaimana perasaan jika yang dimaki itu adik-beradik kita?" Barang diingat, saat itu, tiada siapa yang berani mempersoal program TV sumber ilham menantu kepada Perdana Menteri ketika itu, apatah lagi cukup ramai yang menyokong MyTeam, termasuk di kalangan bos-bos media. Tapi tentunya tindakan aku menongkah arus tidak disebut pun. Orang yang dibuai kejayaan lupa saat-saat ini...dan kawan-kawan dia pun tak ingatkan benda yang berlaku lima atau enam tahun terdahulu



Rembat Kosmo! 1 Januari 2011, aku mengucapkan TERIMA KASIH HARIMAU MALAYA selepas mencipta sejarah


Inilah barisan kita...mudah saja tajuk yang aku beri tapi mendalam



sekalipun ada sentuhan emas, bukan mudah mengurus kejayaan, 


seperti yang kuingatkan pada edisi yang sama...di bawah tajuk urus kejayaan selepas menang "peperangan".  Bermakna, aku tidak melambung-lambungkan mereka...

Aku insaf, tulisan seorang wartawan yang berunsur positif atau merangsang minda dan semangat tidak akan dikenang atau dihargai oleh penggiat bola sepak, tidak kira jurulatih, pemain dan penonton. Memang benar aku ragu-ragu prospek anak buah Rajagobal setelah dibelasah 5-1 pada perlawanan pembukaan dengan Indonesia, tetapi siapa yang optimis dan berani ketika itu? Mengikut pengalaman aku, penggiat sukan tempatan lebih ingat tulisan yang menghiris, menikam dan menghentam sambil mengetepikan terus tulisan terdahulu yang mungkin bernada positif!  Lumrah alam! Cuba baca Raja should be the King, aku nyatakan 17 hari sebelum pelantikan Rajagobal. Kena ingat, jawatan seorang jurulatih sentiasa menjadi bahan spekulasi!

LCW 's champion wedding

Lee Chong Wei, or Datuk LCW, is one true champion.

He dared to dream, he dared to be a champion on court. Off court he is also a champion.

A car enthusiast who bought his first BMW at age 24, LCW's extravagant wedding recently is hard to surpass.

If one works hard, one may be able to take the world by storm by making sports a career and along the way, who knows you might marry the girl of your dreams in a lavish wedding with the Agong, PM, DPM all in attendance.



Picking up the bride must also be held in style.

Dr Ramlan on Raja

Datuk Dr Ramlan Abdul Aziz, adviser to the Sports Minister, is active in the cyberworld. Below is his comment posted on Astro Arena's Kafe Sukan's facebook wall.
For the record, Dr Ramlan was one of the few confident the football team would return with the gold medal from the 2009 Laos SEA Games. Read here



"I seem to remember that not too long ago, SEA Games 2009 to be exact, when our men's football lost the opening match 1-3 to Vietnam. They had played quite poorly and if I recall correctly they were not too hot in the preceding friendly matches either. To compound matters further, the team lost the plot at the end and all hell broke loose with a red card and yellow cards flashed at the end. Total chaos. The next day, all and sundry went to town with reams of quotes on paper or the net totally villifying Coach Rajagobal and the team. Not totally unjustified, I have to say but as that was the very first match, as Malaysia's CDM at the Laos SEA Games I felt there was still so much to play for. So, I quietly took the Captain aside and had a few words in private. Then I assigned Dr Jolly Roy and Rebecca Wong, the two ISN psychologists who were with the contingent to sort the players out as a team and attend to some individuals who seemed to be at loose ends (pun intended, Muhammad Rizal Hashim :) ). The rest of the Contingent played their part, we mafe sure the football team didn't feel too badly and we strived to be supportive and I enjoyed sitting down with Coach Raja and his coaching staff at meals as often as I could, with all the rest of my job as CDM to do. The very next game agaianst Cambodia was a crucial one...the first goal took quite a while to come, with the team become more tense but that goal came and calmed everyone down, we eventually ran out 4-0 winners iirc. The rest is history.... So, what's the point of all this? As concerned as we are with what's going on, worrying, fretting and all that don't help much, if at all. Lots of support might very well turn things around. A team under siege has two main options..to stand up and be counted, or be swallowed up by the earth. This team was made in 2006 under Coach Raja and the rest of the FAM and he knows best. Of course he has responsibilities to live up to and a difficult role and job to perform. Let's wish him the best.

"Oh...and another thing. With the exception of some truly die-hard and passionate fans, dedicated officials and other well-wishers, generally support for Malaysian teams and athletes, though much welcome and appreciated is mostly of the "fair-weather friend" type. Hope this will change soon enough...it's headed in the right direction, albeit slowly. The burden of high expectations is truly heavy one. Do we share in whatever way we can or do we merely watch and whine?"

Tuesday, November 13, 2012

Apabila Raja "kena sound" dengan anak Raja

Bagi penganut agama Hindu, aku ucap Happy Deepavali. Bagi yang menyambut kedatangan Muharram, jangan lupa baca doa hujung tahun dan awal tahun esok.

Sekarang ini yang perlu banyak berdoa ialah Datuk K. Rajagobal. Dialah Raja Bola Malaysia sebenarnya.

Maklumlah, menang Sukan SEA dan Piala AFF, tak pernah dibuat dek orang.

Orang lain siapa? Orang lain apa tahu? Orang lain boleh belahla...Ehh, Rajagobal cipta sejarah tau.

Sepanjang dua dekad lalu, Rahim Abdullah gagal, Ken Worden gagal,  Claude Le Roy gagal, Hatem Souissi gagal, Wan Jamak Wan Hassan gagal, Abdul Rahman Ibrahim gagal, Allan Harris gagal, Bertalan Bicskei gagal, Norizan Bakar gagal, B. Sathianathan gagal...yang tidak gagal hanya Raja, king of all kings!

Raja adalah Raja Bola terhebat sepanjang zaman! Never before we had a winning coach, really, never before!

Rajagobal saja yang tidak gagal. Yang lain gagal.

Cuba kaji latar belakang yang gagal:

1. Rahim Abdullah - bekas sayap kanan skuad Olimpik 1972.
Jurulatih ketika Malaysia tewas 1-0 kepada Filipina di Sukan SEA 1991.

2. Ken Worden - entah pernah main ke tidak
Jurulatih ketika Malaysia tersangkut di peringkat kumpulan di Sukan SEA Singapura 1993.

3. Claude Le Roy - bekas jurulatih Cameroon, Senegal, Cambridge, Oman, Syria
Gagal di Sukan SEA Chiangmai 1995

4. Wan Jamak Wan Hassan - bekas pemain pertahanan skuad Olimpik 1980
Bawa pasukan kebangsaan naib juara Piala AFF edisi sulung pada 1996, apabila Kiatisuk Senamuang elak terpaan Zainal Abidin Hassan lalu merembat gol tunggal final. Kalau Malaysia menang, apakah Wan Jamak dapat pingat kebesaran membawa kepada gelaran Datuk?  Namun melepaskan jawatan selepas tewas 1-0 kepada Laos di Jakarta 1997.

5. Abdul Rahman Ibrahim - bekas pemain tengah kebangsaan dan jurulatih skuad kebangsaan 1977, 78
Bawa pasukan tangga ketiga Piala AFF 2000 setahun selepas diaibkan di Sukan SEA Brunei 1999

6. Allan Harris - bekas penolong Terry Venables di Crystal Palace, Spurs dan Barca
Separuh akhir Piala AFF 2002 hasil kemenangan 4-0 ke atas Singapura dan 3-1 ke atas Thailand, tapi tewas dek tandukan Bambang Pamungkas. Sukan SEA 2001 pula pasukannya tewas gara-gara gol sendiri Kamarulzaman Hassan lagi beberapa minit nak habis di Stadium Shah Alam. Satu stadium menyumpah! Kalau menang final tu, Allan Harris dapat double Datuk, satu datuk grandpa satu pingat kebesaran.


El Tel dan Allan Harris di Nou Camp...Getty Images

7. Bertalan Bicskei - bekas penjaga gol dan jurulatih Hungary
Separuh akhir Piala AFF 2005, tangga ketiga.

8. Norizan Bakar - bekas pemain Perlis
Gangsa Sukan SEA Manila 2005 dan separuh akhir Piala AFF 2007.

9. B. Sathianathan - bekas perancang tengah Negeri Sembilan
Gagal di Sukan SEA Korat 2007 beberapa bulan selepas menjuarai Pestabola Merdeka, tewas peringkat kumpulan Piala AFF 2008.


Ini detik Sathia sebut "M-League is not football" depan Dominique Bathenay dan Zaid Jamaludin


10. K. Rajagobal - bekas pemain simpanan Selangor zaman Supermokh
Berjaya di Sukan SEA Laos 2009 dan berjaya lagi di Piala AFF 2010.

Sehebat mana seorang jurulatih itu, antara faktor dalam bola sepak ialah nasib. Satianathan mungkin gagal di peringkat antarabangsa tetapi berjaya di peringkat tempatan. Harris pernah jadi penolong jurulatih di Barcelona, manakala Le Roy menjuarai Kejohanan Negara-negara Afrika bersama Cameroon pada 1988 dan kemudian membawa pasukan sama ke Piala Dunia 1998. Bicskei bimbing pasukan Bawah 18 tahun Hungary muncul juara Eropah pada 1984.

Dan semua pun pernah kena sound dengan Tengku Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah, timbalan presiden FAM.

Jadi apabila King Raja kena sound dengan anak Raja, apa tandanya? Baca kebimbangan Tengku Abdullah di http://www.utusan.com.my/utusan/Sukan/20121112/su_01/Tengku-Abdullah-tegur-Rajagobal

Satu lagi nak tanya sikit, apakah wajar Rajagobal dikekalkan jika anak buahnya gagal pertahan Piala AFF?

Apapun aku ucap selamat berjaya kepada King Raja, penolongnya Tan Cheng Hoe dan Faozi Mukhlas serta semua anak buahnya!

Kasihan Matyo

Kontroversi membabitkan tarik tali di antara Kelantan FA dan Johor FA memerangkap Norshahrul Idlan Talaha.

Johor bernafsu besar. Kelantan pula tidak mahu kehilangan bintang yang baru diangkat menjadi MVP Liga sekali lagi! Mujur episod ini sudah berpenghujung. Khabarnya Matyo diwakili peguam dan akan mengadakan sidang akhbar dalam meleraikan kekusutan.



Masih ingat gambar ini di saat Matyo mengalirkan air mata selepas melihat rakan-rakan sepasukan tewas kepada Singapura pada kelayakan Piala Dunia? Tika dan saat inipun dia cukup stress. Tapi Matyo bukan pemain pertama terheret ke kancah tarik tali di antara dua pasukan di kala masih terikat dengan kontrak. Gambar Osman Adnan (New Straits Times Press)

Kelantan sebut bonus hak mutlak KAFA. Betul.

Perkara 2.2 dalam kontrak pemain memang menyebut bonus dan pembayarannya hak mutlak ahli gabungan FAM.

Tetapi aku ambil contoh aku bekerja di The Malay Mail untuk 2004. Sepanjang tahun bagi story eksklusif dan 52 story muka depan. Tapi 2005 aku berhijrah ke Astro Arena. Bukankah aku patut dibayar sepanjang membanting tulang pada 2004 oleh majikan lama? Itulah pemahaman aku yang kolot ini.

Jika Pemain tidak berpuashati dengan keputusan Ahli, Pemain boleh dalam masa tujuh (7) hari merayu kepada Jawatankuasa Status Pemain Persatuan dan jika masih juga tidak berpuashati Pemain boleh merujuk kepada Dewan Penyelesaian Perselisihan Kebangsaan (DPPK)/NATIONAL DISPUTE RESOLUTION CHAMBER (NDRC) dan jika masih tidak dapat diselesai maka pihak-pihak yang berkenaan hendaklah merujuk kepada Majlis Timbangtara mengikut Akta Timbangtara 1952 yang mana keputusan adalah muktamad.

Malang sekali jika kedua-dua pihak terpaksa bawak kes ke DPPK.

Perkara 8.5 Apabila Pemain melakukan penamatan perjanjian secara sebelah pihak atau tanpa alasan, maka Ahli berhak mendapat ganti rugi dari seluruh baki nilai kontraknya.

Jadi Johor harus bayar Kelantan. Mudah saja.


PERKARA 11 : PERUNTUKAN KHAS DI ANTARA PEMAIN PROFESSIONAL DAN PASUKAN BARU. 11.1 Pasukan Baru yang berhasrat untuk menyempurnakan kontrak dengan seseorang Pemain Professional daripada Pasukan Asal, boleh memaklumkan kepada Pasukan Asal terlebih dahulu secara bertulis sebelum membuat apa-apa perjanjian atau perundingan dengan Pemain berkenaan iaitu dalam masa enam (6) bulan sebelum kontrak tamat.

11.2 Pasukan Asal setelah menerima permohonan daripada Pasukan Baru hendaklah memberikan makluman balas kepada Pasukan Baru dalam masa 14 hari daripada tarikh surat diterima dan jika gaga berbuat demikial, Pasukan Baru boleh berunding dengan Pemain Professional tersebut.


11.3 Jika Pasukan Asal tidak bersetuju dengan hasrat Pasukan Baru untuk berunding dengan Pemain Professional tersebut, maka Pasukan Baru tidak boleh menghubungi atau berbincang dengan Pemain berkenaan bermula daripada tarikh surat dikeluarkan oleh Pasukan Asal.


11.4 Pasukan Asal hendaklah memberikan notis melanjutkan perjanjian ini mengikut Perkara 10.


Apakah syarat-syarat ini dipatuhi oleh Matyo dan Johor FA? Jika syarat-syarat ini dipatuhi dan KAFA sudah dimaklumkan awal, tiada masalah buat Johor FA.


PERKARA 12 : PENYELESAIAN MUKTAMAD SEBARANG PERSELISIHAN.

12.1 Sebarang perselisihan yang timbul antara pihak-pihak yang berkaitan dengan Perjanjian ini dan yang tidak diselesaikan dengan memuaskan kedua-dua pihak akan dirujuk kepada Jawatankuasa Status Pemain ATAU Dewan Penyelesaian Perselisihan Kebangsaan (DPPK) mengikut isu kes. Jika perselisihan itu tidak dapat diselesaikan oleh Jawatankuasa Status Pemain ATAU DPPK ia akan dirujuk kepada MAJLIS TIMBANGTARA (COURT OF ARBITRATION) menurut Akta Timbangtara 1952 oleh seorang Arbitrator yang dipersetujui bersama oleh Ahli dan Pemain. Proses itu akan diadakan di Malaysia. Keputusan Arbitrator adalah muktamad dan hendak diterima oleh semua pihat terbabit. Bayaran kos Arbitrator hendaklah ditanggung oleh kedua-dua pihak seperti diputuskan oleh Arbitrator.


Harap tak perlu sampai ke sini. Berita terbaru KAFA sudah setuju dengan Johor untuk Matyo berpindah. Kerana kalau kita kaji butiran kontrak yang tertera, advantage Kelantan, melainkan jika semua syarat-syarat kontrak dan penamatan kontrak dipatuhi. Apakah Kelantan mencatat kemenangan 1-0 di luar padang dua bulan sebelum sepak mula tetapi kehilangan sebutir permata yang banyak membantu mengangkat status Kelantan dua tiga musim kebelakangan ini?

Aku ada mendapat maklum balas bagaimana pula jika KAFA sudahpun meletakkan imej dan jenama The Red Warriors dengan berpaksikan kepada Matyo...mudah, kerana risiko pemain berhijrah sama ada di dalam atau luar kontrak adalah lumrah alam bola sepak.

Pengajaran daripada isu ini - pemain ibarat satu komoditi dalam dunia bisnes. Mengurus sebuah pasukan bola sepak yang dianggotai individu dengan pelbagai masalah duniawi tidak semudah A, B dan C. Pancing-memancing pemain juga adalah perkara biasa, sebab itu satu ketika dahulu Kuala Lumpur meletakkan harga RM1 juta kepada Azman Adnan dan Azrul Amri Burhan/





Wednesday, November 7, 2012

LIMBC 2012 - "The Great Wall of Langkawi"

Stage 2 of the LIMBC 2012 was nearly declared not rideable but in the end, the 5km stretch of steep terrain dubbed the Great Wall of Langkawi by the riders was conquered. Read here


Team Specialized's Lea Davison of United States, race leader of the women's open, acknowledging her victory with fans


Lea flanked by Norway's Elisabeth Sveum (left) and Janka Stevkova of Slovakia


The diligent media eager to get fresh quotes from Giger who retained his yellow jersey




Giger retains the yellow jersey



No monkeys, only leeches and a snake, says Lea



Highlights of the race, with interviews pre and post-race

LIMBC 2012 - Day 3 - Stage 1


Fresh from his victory in the World Cup test event in China, Fabian Giger stormed to Stage 1 win in the LIMBC 2012, giving him the right to take away the yellow jersey from Florian Vogel.. In the women's open, Lea Davison grabbed the pink jersey. Read http://www.mtbmalaysia.com/news-media/news-media/latest-news/new-leaders-stage-2-limbc-2012 and http://www.cyclingnews.com/races/langkawi-international-mtb-challenge-2012/day-2-round-island/results




Post-race interview



Post-race interview



Stage 1 highlights


Nathalie Schneitter, last year's women's elite category winner, took second place in Stage 1 after surviving the mud, puddles and leeches


Local rider Ahmad Fauzan Lutfi entertains questions from the media


Clean start


Muddy finish


And the winners pose with organiser Datuk Malik Mydin (extreme right) and Tradewinds Corporation Bhd group communications chief, Nor Razman Kassim


Platinum sponsors Yayasan Sime Darby gave away a total of 45 bikes to promote a culture of cycling among students from selected schools and also the Langkawi police for their patrolling unit. Seen here LIMBC honorary patron Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad hands over a bike to Deputy Minister of Education, Dr Puad Zarkashi while LADA CEO Tan Sri Khalid Ramli and Kedah Chief of Police, Datuk Ahmad Ibrahim



Tuesday, November 6, 2012

LIMBC 2012 - Day 2 - Prologue

Following a jamboree that drew 800 over riders, the prologue was a much awaited affair.




Read the reports here








Catch the preview and highlights of the prologue.