Final jadi buruan

FINAL JADI BURUAN

PADA satu ketika, pasukan negara diwakili pemain-pemain terbaik negara.

Malangnya apabila skuad senior dicampur aduk dengan pemain Bawah 23 tahun berikutan munculnya pertandingan di pelbagai peringkat yang terhad kepada pemain kategori itu, ada jurulatih mengambil kesempatan menampilkan pemain muda.

Skuad senior dijadikan mangsa. Ada sesetengahnya masih berbisa tetapi dikorbankan atas nama pembangunan dan pendedahan buat pemain muda.

Jika tahap permainan di Sukan Asia dianggap terlalu sukar dijangkau, secara realistiknya, Piala Suzuki AFF bermula minggu depan adalah detik dan pentas pasukan negara merasai nikmat kemenangan.

Dengan impian layak ke Piala Asia secara merit dianggap jauh panggang daripada api, platform terbaik anak-anak buah K. Rajagobal untuk membuktikan keupayaan ialah kejohanan serantau yang diperkenalkan pada 1996.

Sejak acara bola sepak Sukan SEA dihadkan kepada pemain Bawah 23 tahun, Piala AFF menjadi buruan utama 10 negara Asia Tenggara mengejar prestij.

Biarpun Safiq Rahim, Norshahrul Idlan Talaha dan rakan-rakan menaiki podium untuk dikalung pingat emas Sukan SEA di Laos tahun lalu, bola sepak senior menghidangkan cabaran berbeza.

Sejarah penyertaan Malaysia pahit untuk ditelan. Negaraku tidak pernah bergema di mana-mana stadium di rantau ini.

Di Singapura pada 1996, penyerang Thailand, Kiatisuk Senamuang, mengelak terpaan Zainal Abidin Hassan lalu meledakkan jaringan tunggal untuk mengecewakan anak didik Wan Jamak Hassan.
 
Dua tahun kemudian, kelibat Wan Jamak tidak kelihatan. Tugas membentuk pasukan yang menggabungkan anak muda dari pasukan Olimpik 2000 dan tonggak berpengalaman digalas Hatem Souissi di Vietnam. Malaysia tewas di peringkat kumpulan.
 
Di Songkhla/Bangkok pada 2000, Abdul Rahman Ibrahim menggandingkan rangkaian penggempur terbaik - Rusdi Suparman, Azman Adnan, Hairudin Omar dan Nizaruddin Yusof sambil dibantu kapten Ahmad Shahrul Azhar Sofian namun kesudahannya Malaysia tewas kepada Thailand pada separuh akhir sebelum menewaskan Vietnam untuk menduduki tangga ketiga.

Sekalipun membuat permulaan yang menggemparkan dengan membelasah Singapura 4-0 dan menewaskan Thailand 3-1, pasukan kendalian Allan Harris yang menampilkan Akmal Rizal Ahmad Rakhli, Indra Putra Mahayuddin dan Tengku Hazman Raja Hassan serta K. Nanthakumar tumbang di tangan Indonesia pada separuh akhir.

Pada 2004-2005, Malaysia bungkam lagi apabila tewas kepada musuh ketat, Indonesia, menerusi timbal balik walaupun menamatkan kemarau kemenangan di Jakarta selama 25 tahun menerusi dua jaringan Liew Kit Kong. Di Stadium Nasional pada Januari 2005, jaringan Kurniawan Dwi Yulianto, Charis Yulianto, Boaz Salossa dan Ilham Jayakusuma menghancurkan harapan Bertalan Bicskei untuk mara ke final.

Misi Malaysia yang dibimbing Norizan Bakar, tersekat lagi pada separuh akhir pada awal 2007 apabila pemain muda dari Kedah, Khyril Muhymeen Zambri gagal menyempurnakan penalti selepas terikat dengan Singapura 2-2 secara agregat.

Beberapa bulan selepas membawa anak buahnya memenangi Pestabola Merdeka, B Sathianathan melihat Malaysia sekadar menduduki tangga ketiga kumpulan di belakang Thailand dan Vietnam.

Bagi menghadapi edisi 2010 yang dianjur bersama oleh Indonesia dan Vietnam, Rajagobal harus merencanakan strategi pasukan tanpa pasangan kembar, Aidil Zafuan dan Zaquan Adha Abdul Radzak, selain Norhafiz Zamani Misbah dan Ahmad Fakri Saarani.

Malaysia diundi bersama juara tiga kali, Thailand yang dilatih oleh bekas kapten England, Bryan Robson dan Indonesia kendalian Alfred Riedl serta Laos, pemenang kumpulan kelayakan.

Robson menyaksikan anak buahnya mara ke suku akhir Sukan Asia di Guangzhou sebelum tewas tipis kepada Jepun, manakala Riedl menyenaraikan pemain kelahiran Uruguay, Christian Gonzales untuk menerajui serangan di sisi Bambang Pamungkas, Budi Sudarsono, Irfan Bachdim, Boaz Salossa dan Yongki Aribowo selain Oktavianus Maniani di tengah.

Rajagobal memecah tradisi apabila menjadi jurulatih pertama sejak Trevor Hartley menjuarai Sukan SEA. Di Guangzhou, sekalipun diulit kontroversi pengadil Ben Williams yang dilihat beat sebelah, Rajagobal membawa Malaysia ke pusingan kedua buat kali pertama sejak 1978.

Jadi tidak mustahil anak kelahiran Setapak ini mengukir sejarah sekali lagi. Ayuh Malaysia!


  Dalam Box

Jadual

Rabu
Indonesia lwn Malaysia
(Gelora Bung Karno, Jakarta, 7.30mlm)

Sabtu
Malaysia lwn Thailand
(Gelora Bung Karno, Jakarta, 5.0ptg)

7 Disember
Malaysia lwn Laos
(Jalak Harupat, Bandung, 7.30mlm)



  Rekod Malaysia dalam Piala AFF

 Singapura 1996  naib juara, tewas kepada Thailand pada final

 Vietnam 1998 peringkat kumpulan

 Thailand 2000 tempat ketiga

 Singapura 2002 tempat keempat

 Kuala Lumpur 2004 tempat ketiga

 Singapura 2007 separuh akhir

 Thailand 2008 peringkat kumpulan

The true KPI, NKRA from Guangzhou...

I have to congratulate the Malaysian contingent for a rousing performance in the recently concluded 16th Asian Games in Guangzhou. I was initially skeptical on the team's prospects of meeting the target but I was wrong.

Nevertheless, in hindsight, the nine gold medal target was too conservative, considering the fact it was also the medal target for Doha 2006. The Key Performance Indicator (KPI) for 2010 was too low in the first place.

It was reported RM144 million was spent to prepare the contingent for both New Delhi and Guangzhou assignments since 2007. Surely we cannot expect the returns on investment to be similar as to what it was in Doha.

My honest assessment?
NSC should have aimed higher...but the pressure would have been greater! Anyway since our participation in the 1958 edition in Tokyo, we have garnered 51 gold medals from 11 disciplines.

Surprise package
Surely the national hockey team deserved the credit. The likes of Ho Koh Chye, R Yogeswaran, Ow Soon Kooi, Poon Fook Loke, M. Mahendran, Nor Saiful Zaini, Sarjit Singh, Mohamad Abdul Hadi, Mirnawan Nawawi may have tasted Olympic action but they never went beyond the semifinals of the Asiad but Madzli Ikmar, Amin Rahim, Azlan Misron and the younger set of players did. My only complain is that, having vowed to shave their heads for entering the final, the majority of the players should have waited until the final. As I mentioned on Astro Arena's nightly analysis Arena@Guangzhou, the players entered the pitch with mixed emotions - of celebrating entering the final and having to deal with the pressure of delivering an automatic ticket to the London Olympics. Still kudos to them. S. Kumar's splendid goalkeeping co-incided with the birth of his son. Read Haresh Deol's letter to Kumar Jr here

Biggest disappointment
The women's bowling team? Sepak takraw? Athletics?

Top athlete
Azizulhasni Awang, for making amends for his defeat in the Commonwealth Games by adopting a kamikaze approach and for being the only gold medallist from an Olympic discipline.

Two years from today, our focus will shift towards the Olympics.

Now, tell me, who would be able to deliver the medals in London? If we are lucky, Azizul could be a bright prospect. Who else? Lee Chong Wei? Koo Kien Keat-Tan Boon Heong?

Asian Games and I

Only into my 15th year as a journalist that I got the chance to cover the Asian Games. That happened in 2006 in Doha. It remains special to me for the Doha trip was my last with the Malay Mail. It also enabled me to complete the sports journalists' Grand Slam, so to speak, having covered the SEA Games, the Commonwealth Games and the Olympics. The two biggie that eluded me remain elusive - the FIFA World Cup and the Euros.

Wanting to be cheeky, I proposed to sports editor Moose "Our Sheikh in Doha" picture byline prior to my departure. And he agreed! Later on it became the talk of the town...among sports journos la...

My preview - I predicted that the contingent would return with a 10 gold haul

This picture was taken shortly after Nicol David's press conference in Doha...one would have thought I was an athlete myself...

My review

Suffering from Athlete's foot, I was a walking wounded, with my right foot looking like an elephant's leg. Hailing a taxi in the midnight hour in Doha was next to impossible. Eventually I was taken to the Hamad Medical Centre 4.20am Malaysian time by RTM's Hafizal Hamad. I was treated by an Iraqi surgeon, Dr Mohammad Darwish. "You have cellulitis, your feet is swollen." Hafizal later named his first son Ilham Darwish...

Chai Fong Yin's golden choreograph was inspired by Jet Li's The One, not Michelle Yeoh's Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon...

I named my column Dunes of Doha, because I expected a bumpy ride for the contingent through the sand dunes of Doha...one day I decided to write about meeting champion hurdler Liu Xiang and how Kamarulzaman Pid and I missed the opportunity to snap a picture with him..

Was Josiah Ng a choker in major events? This poser followed Jo's defeat to his training mate Tsubasa Kitatsuru in the sprint semifinal

My Doha memories remained vivid as I chronicled Norfarhan Mohammad's own goal against Oman and Hardi Jaafar two superb goals, Rexy Mainaky quitting, crying and retracting his decision, the bowlers' excellent display, Roslinda Samsu's defeat in pole vault on countback, Quzandria Nur Mahamad Fathil receiving her medal on a wheelchair, Koo Kien Keat-Tan Boon Heong's grand entrance into fame, hockey's sixth place and karate's hopes chopped to pieces. I too bore witness to the grilling handed by Ahmad Khawari Isa, my room mate throughout the Arabian adventure, to the then National Sports Council (NSC) director-general Datuk Dr Ramlan Abdul Aziz after the contingent failed to meet the target of nine gold.

The real sheikhs of success

Four years on, I'm taking a different role, having been given a chance to offer my opinion on TV, thanks to Astro Arena.

Flanked by Edleen Ismail and BA of Malaysia general manager, Kenny Goh

Again Fong Yin has returned with the gold

Shaukei Kahar, Fong Yin and Arena producers, Slamet Sazly Yakub and Nasser Zainal

Aku kena ugut...

Apabila aku diugut, aku tidak ada pilihan kecuali akur.

"Hang mai kenduri aku eh, bawak anak-anak sekali, kalau hang tak bawak siap hang..." suara garau Nasir Ahmad memberi amaran aku wajib hadir kenduri kahwin anak sulungnya Nashriq di Kajang, sehari selepas Kelantan menjulang Piala Malaysia 2010.

Tentu sekali aku membawa rombongan aku seramai lima orang termasuk aku sendiri...yang menariknya mestilah bertemu rakan-rakan lama yang menjadi teras meja sukan Berita Harian tidak lama dahulu, antaranya Lukman Salleh yang dikhabarkan bakal ke Astro Arena, bos lama Zian Johari, Rodly Nayan, Ismail Ahmad dan Rosli Safar.

Aku masih ingat Rodly penyunting yang selalu buat back page...story aku selalu pergi page lead muka surat Abang Mail yang pernah menjadi pengarang sukan Utusan Malaysia...Nasir pula mentor yang banyak mengajar aku ketika di Jaguh...Rosli bawak aku ke Majlis Sukan Negara di Stadium Negara dulu...

Budak-budak wartawan sekarang untung dan lemak...dulu aku bukan saja pergi library cari gambar untuk abang-abang sub ni, aku tolong proof read, tolong bagi heading, tolong buat caption, lepas tu angkat air minum dengan sandwich lalu tangga dari kantin sampai tingkat empat...berapa kerat orang boleh buat itu semua sekarang? Tapi dari situ aku belajar...

Kerana Rodly penulis award-winning dengan majalah Bolasepak, Nasir pakar badminton dan olahraga, Abang Mail masih dikenang Tan Sri Hamzah Abu Samah dan cekap menulis pasal politik kepegawaian. Walaupun ada yang tuduh aku ego, kerja-kerja aku, sama ada yang nampak atau tidak, membuktikan sebaliknya...

First byline aku di Berita Harian, pasal story Nazim Din, bek kiri Kuala Lumpur, berbekam di Chow Kit, diberi oleh Zian...tanda-tanda awal aku dilamar ke meja sukan, seterusnya titik permulaan kerjaya aku...

Dari kiri Nazar, Rodly, Bang Ismail, Fadzil, Nasir, Mutazar dan Isa. Duduk dari kiri Rasid, Zian dan Rosli...Aku tak sangka Nasir pakai baju Melayu. Dok pakai selipar ke ofis dari dulu sampai laa...

Gullit on the 2018 bid, Ballon d'Or and the 2010 World Cup

Ruud Gullit, president of the Holland-Belgium bid to host the FIFA World Cup 2018, entertains questions from loose cannon via email.

1. What would be the highlights or strong points of your bid?
The short distances are one of our the strongest point of out bid. No endless flights but freedom for all to travel around and come close to the players and the tournament atmosphere. Furthermore, we provide easy access and situated in the heart of Europe. We want to open the doors to all football associations around the world to come and watch how we educate coaches and players and how are football structure operates. We are a safe choice, a guarantee for success. We can build on the experience of EURO 2000, the economic power and a safe environment. We serve as an example for most of the FIFA members who would never dream of hosting the World Cup if we did not give an excellent joint example.

2. What advantages does a joint-bid offer to teams, spectators and sponsors?
Once you have entered either of the countries there is no need to board a plane anymore until after the final. We offer a chance for everyone to taste the best of two countries that have always been closely related and that share the same language. We share the sense of good hospitality, rich history, great artists and above all the love for football.

3. How crucial do you think the Asian vote is with regard to your bid?
As every vote counts on 2 December. I am sure people in Asia will realize that Belgium and The Netherlands have something special to offer.

4. What will be your message to the Asian Football Confederation?
We can show how organizing and structuring the education of coaches and players offers you a real chance of reaching the top in World football. We will offer all FIFA member associations the chance to have an inside look into our system so that football worldwide can benefit from the World Cup in Belgium and The Netherlands.

5. What is your opinion or stand on countries hosting the FIFA World Cup more than once? There has been precedence in the case of Mexico, Germany and Brazil. Even amongst the 2018 World Cup bidders, England and Spain have played host before.
Every country has the right to bid for the World Cup, even it is for the second time. We want to give hope in the hearts of the smaller nations that would possibly never dream of organizing the World Cup. This might be the last chance for joint bidders to provide an example to the rest of the world.

6. How would you describe the development of football in Asia? Do you foresee an Asian country winning the FIFA World Cup any time soon?
If you look at the results of the Asian teams in recent World Cups you can see their improvement all the time. 2002 saw the great discovery of Japan and South Korea as footballing nations with a great potential. I saw Japan play The Netherlands a couple of times in recent years and the Dutch have more and more trouble winning their matches versus ‘Nippon’. It will not be long before an Asian team will play the World Cup final, and probably win it as well.

7. If your bid is successful, what is your promise to the teams, spectators and the football world as a whole with regard to FIFA World Cup 2018?
We have seven Great Goals that we want to share with the world. We firstly want to contribute to world football by focusing on the core values of football, beautiful goals and joy for the fans, just like the Belgian and Dutch team have brought joy to football fans around the world in past years. Everyone will arrive in Belgium and The Netherlands and enjoy the World Cup with the shortest distances between venues ever. Apart from that society all around the world can benefit from the greenest World Cup ever, from World Coaches that educate children who are less well off and the Open Club concept, which stresses the importance of football clubs at a social and community level.

8. The Open Football Club concept is interesting. Can you explain further on the concept and how it can be adopted in developing countries especially in Asia?
In Belgium and The Netherlands we have a club structure that is unique in the world. Everyone can join a football club at almost every street corner. These clubs have excellent facilities with artificial pitches and changing rooms and a comfortable club house. These facilities should be used 24/7. A football club should be the social and educational heart of the neighborhood where people of all ages, from all social backgrounds find something of use during day time and in the evening. The clubs play a crucial role in the social cohesion, the fighting of obesities, cultural integration and development of children. We will help Asian countries copy this concept and use the strength of football to the very full. All FIFA member associations will be invited to our World Cup in order to have a look in our kitchen of football.

9. How would your bid reflect the FIFA slogan “For the Game; For the World”?
Our slogan is Together for Great Goals, which expresses that two countries work together in order to achieve glorious moments of football and to achieve great goals off the pitch well. We will host the greenest World Cup ever and further implement the World Coaches concept as well as The Open Football Clubs.
10. The Dutch team came agonizingly close to the world title in 2010. What do you think is the missing ingredient that Netherland needs to be crowned World champions?
It is a matter of luck and composure. If you look at the chances of The Netherlands in the final we should have scored at least once. Next to this, we are already very proud that our nation reached the final of a World Cup even three times. We never won, ok, but playing the final soo many times for us already is an achievement.

11. The merger of the FIFA awards and the Ballon d'Or. Good idea?
I think there should be several prizes with several juries to decide. In that case you can see if everyone agrees on the best players and best teams.

12. The FIFA World Cup bids have been plagued by allegations of vote-buying. All the campaigning around the world and yet the final decision and vote lies with 24 executive committee members of FIFA, now reduced to 22 after two were suspended for their involvement in bribery. Against this backdrop, are you optimistic of landing the rights purely from the football perspective?
We hear and read the stories in the media. FIFA have started an investigation and they are the institution to deal with this matter. It is not a discussion we are involved in.

Kenapa aku tidak setuju dengan Subkhiddin...

Siapalah aku banding dengan Cikgu Subkhiddin Mohd Salleh, anak Melayu pertama menjejakkan kaki ke Piala Dunia selaku pengadil? Apabila Cikgu yang sangat aku hormati ini tidak terpilih langsung untuk mengadili satupun perlawanan di Afrika Selatan dan sebaliknya sekadar menjadi pengadil keempat, aku mempertahankannya dan mempertikaikan keputusan jawatankuasa pengadil FIFA. Baca kolumku di Brunei Times dan kolumku di Kosmo

Mengulas tindakan Ben Williams sekonyong-konyongnya melayangkan kad merah kepada Mahali Jasuli, Safiq Rahim dan S. Kunanlan, Subkhiddin menongkah arus sentimen dan sependapat dengan rakannya dari Australia itu. Baca di sini

Namun, kalau Cikgu Subkhiddin yang menyambut ulang tahun ke-44 serentak dengan Eidul Adha esok yang mengadili perlawanan itu, aku rasa:

1. Cikgu Subkhiddin harus perasan bahawa Mahali dijatuhkan sebelum beberapa saat kemudian membuat two-footed lunge ke arah pemain China.
2. Benar terjahan dua kaki Mahali mengikut undang-undang wajar diberi kad kuning, tetapi banyak kali juga pengadil boleh memberi amaran lisan terlebih dahulu.
3. Tentu Cikgu Subkhiddin perasan Malaysia yang patut dapat throw-in pada minit ke-25 tetapi penolong pengadil bagi dekat China, itu yang Mahali marah dan sepak bola.
4. Benar Mahali bersalah kerana ungentlemanly conduct tetapi kalau kesalahan pertama hanya diberi amaran lisan, Mahali diberi kad kuning dan masih kekal di padang.
5. Cikgu Subkhiddin tentu perasan Safiq Rahim sekadar menyuarakan bantahan atas kedudukannya selaku kapten. Atau mungkin tindakan dia terpegang tangan Williams salah? Yang aku tahu kalau pemain menolak pengadil terang-terangan atau meludah, macam Abdul Manaf Mamat buat dekat Subkhiddin, baru wajar dikenakan kad merah.
6. OKlah, Kunanlan bersalah. Sekali lagi pengadil diberi ruang mengamalkan budi bicara...

Kesudahannya, Ben Williams, tidak ada budi, tidak reti bicara...

Satu lagi faktor, Ben Williams Ref of Oz ini ada rekod buruk ketika Malaysia dibelasah 5-0 dengan UAE awal 2009.

Maka dengan ini, aku mencadangkan kepada Naib Presiden Gabungan Bola Sepak Asia (AFC), Tengku Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah, agar mengemukakan bantahan jika satu hari kelak Williams dipilih mengadili mana-mana perlawanan membabitkan Malaysia. Itu hak kita!

An Open Letter to Ben Williams, Aussie referee

  Ben Williams doing what he does best...

Benjamin Jon Williams,
Aussie outback,
Australia continent.

Dear Mr Williams,

RE: Asian Games - China v Malaysia

I hope this  letter reaches you in the finest of health so that you can continue to make a mockery of the beautiful game.

Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Rizal Hashim, a former journalist with the Malay Mail, an English tabloid known for its no-holds barred commentaries and analyses (those days are gone, however). Before I proceed, I must insist that I believe in objectivity and seldom allow myself to be swayed by sentiments or emotion.

However I cannot help but put your refereeing ability into question based on the way you conducted the China-Malaysia tie in the ongoing Asian Games in Guangzhou, where two Malaysian players were given the marching orders in the 27th minute.

The perception was that you were out to facilitate China's entry to the knock-out stages.

I suggest you study the footage of the game.

You would then notice that:

# A few seconds into the game, Malaysian right back Mahali Jasuli was fouled. Not only you refused to blow the whistle, you gave advantage to China. Subsequently Mahali's two-footed lunge was rewarded with a yellow card, with less than three minutes into the game.

# When Mahali lost his composure and kicked the ball away, it was because he felt a sense of injustice as it should have been Malaysia's throw in.

# Now, was Malaysian captain Safiq Rahim spewing obscenities Down Under style that you would be so quick on the draw, brandishing a straight red card seconds after giving Mahali the marching orders? Two players being sent-off simultaneously? Virtually unheard of in these parts...but in A-League, there's every possibility it happens on a weekly basis.

From thereon, the game was no longer being held on a level playing field.

S. Kunanlan's second yellow card? It was neither a life-threatening tackle, a tackle from behind or a karate lunge ala Nigel de Jong. But he became the third player to be given the red card and you duly rewarded China a penalty, how convenient. The 3-0 result became immaterial.

Perhaps Mr Gary Power, the biggest influence in your career and a one-time Asian Football Confederation director of referees, could admonish you in private. Or better still, I hope the match commissioner in tonight's game, Kul Sophana from Cambodia, would have the moral courage to take note of your incompetence and make the necessary recommendation.

In the interim Mr Williams, please consider sticking to teaching. It will serve the rest of the world better! But I would not be surprised if your name is shortlisted for the AFC Awards, if not this year, next year!

Oh before I forget, a friend of mine Syazwan Marzuki, reminded me of the fact that you were also the referee when Malaysia were given a hiding by UAE in early 2009, a loss which drew the infamous "M-League is not football" by coach B. Sathianathan. Read here. I sure hope you have nothing against Malaysia, Mr Williams.


Kind regards,

Rizal Hashim

P/S To my fellow Malaysians, coach K Rajagobal and his boys, I salute you.