11-0 win...but Raja's men not up to the task

National coach K. Rajagobal with members of the media

My heart says Malaysia can go far. My head begs to differ.

I've gone on record to say Malaysia's chances of ending the 20-year wait for the SEA Games gold medal in football are slim, maybe as slim as the Jacob's Low Salt Hi-Fibre biscuit cracker I'm consuming at this moment.

At best we can expect a semi-final appearance in Laos, that's all. Even if the team can brag they scored 11 goals in the opening tie against Timor Leste a short while ago.

And what a way to start the campaign eh...no, not the 11-0 whitewash of Timor Leste but the events leading to the team's departure from the Subang Airforce base...

Read http://thestar.com.my/sports/story.asp?file=/2009/12/1/sports/5211460&sec=sports

PETALING JAYA: The na­tio­nal Under-23 men’s football team for the Laos SEA Games were left grounded for nearly six hours at the TUDM Subang Base yesterday before their chartered flight to Vien­tiane was called off after a long delay in getting diplo­matic clearance.

It was a bad start for the Malaysian team, who wanted to have at least two days to familiarise with the conditions in Vientiane before their opening match in Group A against Timor Leste tomorrow.

The 28-member contingent, including eight officials, checked into the Air Force base at 9am and went through the normal briefing procedures by TUDM personnel. But much to their discomfort, they had to endure the long wait before the flight was aborted.

No go: The national Under-23 football players with coach K. Rajagopal (second from left) and FA of Malaysia general secretary Datuk Azzuddin Ahmad (right) were grounded for six hours at the TUDM Subang airbase before the flight was called off Monday. — RICKY LAI / The Star

The FA of Malaysia (FAM) general secretary, Datuk Azzuddin Ahmad, who was at the base to send off the team, made attempts to obtain diplomatic clearance from Laos and finally got it at 4.30pm.

“It was too late for the team to leave as they do not provide night landing facilities at the base in Vientiane. The team will now leave at 8am tomorrow (today),” said Azzuddin.

“We made all arrangements 10 days ago for this flight to Laos and we are surprised over the delay. We have alerted Wisma Putra (Home Ministry) and the Foreign Ministry on the matter.”

National coach K. Rajagopal said that they had no choice but to train at the Wisma FAM in Petaling Jaya yesterday.

“I have told the players not to be distracted by this delay.

“Due to unavoidable circumstances, we have to be prepared for anything,” he said.

“We checked into a hotel, courtesy of the FAM, and I am glad the problem has been sorted out and we will make the trip tomorrow morning.”

The football competition of the 25th biennial Games gets underway before the official opening on Dec 9 and Malaysia have a tough task to qualify for the semi-finals.

After the match against Timor Leste, Malaysia will take on fancied Vietnam on Sunday followed by matches against Cambodia (Dec 8) and defending champions Thailand (Dec 11). Group B matches involve Laos, Myanmar, Singapore and Indonesia.

Maria oh Maria

May Day, May Day...it's the loose cannon, letting loose...

"Hi Maria, can you say something that will make you sound sexy?"

Based on the conversation, loose cannon thinks Maria Kirilenko is a down-to-earth person...

"But I think you forgot one question..." Maria pointed out to loose cannon, tasked with the enviable job of interviewing the Russian beauty over the phone at Astro Awani.

Having prepared a list of questions which was dispatched to Valencia much earlier for Maria's team, loose cannon was perhaps overwhelmed by the occasion, so he missed Question No 6, "HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOURSELF OUTSIDE THE TENNIS COURT?"

"Oh really, ok Maria, so, HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE MARIA KIRILENKO OUTSIDE THE TENNIS COURT?"

"Well I like to crack jokes, I cannot sit still...

One thing's for certain, loose cannon must see Maria in the flesh...no, not so much on the flesh, but in the flesh, oops in person.

So, get your tickets now...at www.tickethotline.com.my.

A dolphin of a time

LD Sports CEO, Adlan M Zabri, MASkargo Senior Manager (Corporate Affairs) Rosli Md Yasin and MASkargo manager, corporate affairs, Anita Ahmad Kushairy sharing their thoughts immediately upon the arrival of the dolphins and sea lions

Loose cannon's models posing before the giant banner

Ah, let's take a break from sports...now do come to the Sunway Pyramid open car park. You will have a whale of a time, oh in this case, a dolphin of a time. Showtime 3.30pm, 6.30pm and 9.30pm and additional show at 11.30am on weekends and public holidays. Log on to www.dolphins-sealions.com for further details. The show runs until Feb 7.

The paper that cares is back!

The paper that cares is back. The Malay Mail has a new look and it comes out in the afternoon, really after noon. Could not resist the temptation of watching Rockybru belting out Ramli Sarip's number at the hip and happening relaunch party at BSC Wednesday night. To Rocky, his trusted lieutenants and the foot soldiers, all the best.

From left 8TV CEO Ahmad Izham Omar (keyboards), TM Group CEO, Datuk Zamzairani Md Isa, Malay Mail's Editor in chief, Rocky, Maybank CEO Datuk Seri Abdul Wahid Omar and Celcom CEO, Datuk Shazally Ramly (drums)

Datuk A Kadir Jasin and Datuk Johan Jaafar, chairman of Media Prima, entertain questions from former Business Times journo, Adlin M Zabri. Foreground, KL Mayor, Datuk Ahmad Fuad Ismail.

Who would have thought a boy from Kampung Melayu in Ipoh would turn out to be a media mogul? Former BA of Malaysia (BAM) secretary, Datuk Mohamed Al-Amin Abdul Majid, who was constantly a subject of loose cannon's criticism circa 1998, is the man behind Malay Mail and BernamaTV...hmmm. We might differ on many issues pertaining to badminton but Al Amin always has time for loose cannon!

Loose cannon likes the masthead

The chief Rockybru aka Ahirudin Attan under the spotlight, as usual

Atilia, Marion Caunter and Zainal Alam Kadir

Ex-Malay Mail journo Randhir Singh is perhaps introducing this cameraman to the famous Other Thots author, blogger and former NSTP co-owner, Datuk A Kadir Jasin

El Loco, Haresh Deol, Aftar Singh and Ajitpal Singh celebrating Manchester United's defeat...

The end-o of a generation

When Yasuhito Endo was installed as the top Asian footballer during the AFC Awards night in Kuala Lumpur on Tuesday, loose cannon's mind harked back to the time when he was among those privileged enough to bear witness to one of Japan's greatest generations. It was exactly a decade ago when Philippe Troussier formed a group of young samurais who took the footballing world by storm.

Today Endo and the likes of Yuji Nakazawa are in their prime, functioning as effectively as they were a decade ago.

Contrast that to the Malaysian class of 1999. Khalid Jamlus was a passenger in the Malaysia Cup final recently, while injury prone Akmal Rizal Ahmad Rakhli who was introduced to his would-be wife Shahira during that trip to Japan, is no longer in the national set-up.

Among those who played under Hatem Souissi in Japan were Jamsari Sabian, Khairun Haled Masrom, Rosle Md Derus, M. Elangoo, M. Gopalan, S. Jayaprakash, Das Gregory, Gilbert Cassedy Gawing and Tengku Hazman Raja Hassan, with the majority of them born in 1977 and had formed the nucleus to the World Youth Cup team in Kuala Lumpur two years earlier.

2009 Asian Footballer of the Year, Yasuhito Endo, was a reserve in the Japanese Olympic team that boasted the likes of...

...Shinji Ono who five months after helping Japan to the runners-up spot in the FIFA Under-20 World Cup in Nigeria, bullied the Malaysian team into submission in the pre-Olympics

...while Masashi Motoyama's mazy dribbling skills on the right flank were unforgettable

...and Atsushi Yanagisawa is best remembered for his predatory instincts

Also in Troussier's team were Shunsuke Nakamura whose left peg is feared by the entire Scottish football fraternity and former Fulham and Arsenal midfield dynamo, Junichi Inamoto.

Inter-media - Footy and ping pong

The Star's Azhar Mahfof and Utusan Malaysia sports editor Meor Herman Shakri

Hafizal Hamad of RTM enjoys the feminine touch

Utusan Malaysia's Taufek Razak tussles with Badlishah of Berita Harian

Arnaz M Khairul of NST refrains from chopping Utusan's Sayed Hesham Idris's head

Even at his age, Lukman Salleh of Berita Harian is agile as ever

The sponsors' team finished third in the football competition

TV3 emerged runners-up in the footy tourney

The champions - NSC. So was it fixed?

Loose cannon should have played for this team. Kosmo! were more energetic and not clueless in front of goal. Loose cannon would be content cheering the team on from the sidelines

Liverpool fan Arrifin Ghani revelled in the striker's role, proving to be deadly as he was with the hockey sticks. Zawawi (right) takes a breather from his royal role

Loose cannon demonstrates a forehand return

Even the camera was not fast enough to capture loose cannon's lightning reflexes as he bagged the bronze in the ping pong tourney, partnering his one time rival at Berita Harian and now SAM president, Ahmad Khawari Isa

Alias Md Rani (left) having his breakfast (notice the cigarette) and Sufian Thauri Muhammed of Harian Metro entertaining thoughts of representing Malaysia in futsal

Berita Harian A registered emphatic wins en route to the semis (ping pong)

Loose cannon took home these prizes. According to rumours it was fixed

The Utusan Malaysia football team

ESPN Sportscenter presenter-cum-actor Rashid Salleh with loose cannon junior

Upon loose cannon's insistence, this picture was taken, the Malay Mail-Bloggers and the Kosmo! outfit. In the final analysis, loose cannon played for the wrong team!

EPLx Kosmo! 21 Nov