So it begs the question if I should continue supporting Malaysian football or not? For me, it’s simple... I choose loyalty. This team will always be in my heart. Victory or defeat, these guys are playing for the flag... The flag I love. They may disappoint the Jalur Gemilang, but that beautiful flag never lets you down. It’s a symbol of peace and harmony.
By T. AVINESHWARAN
OPTIMISM is something we all crave. However, living in a world that has myriad of emotions and actions, one might wonder if it actually exists.
Being a social science student, at first, I was awed by the world of optimists. A society that will not face the wrath of war, everyone getting free education, health and welfare; and love that is easy and not complicated.
As I embarked on my education endeavour, I realised how tough it is to become an optimist. There is love, but we cannot shirk away from deceit, lies and hypocrisy. The tide doesn’t seem kind and the optimistic sand castle I envisioned crumbled.
I became a realist. Sports gave me some hope, but recent events have certainly given me the feeling that you can’t have it all.
However, there has been a change in Malaysian football, and I can’t help but notice it. Having first experienced Malaysian football in 1996, the rush, adrenaline and passion got me.
I used to write down players name on school notebooks and remember my parents not being happy about it. Instead of writing science notes, I wrote formations, players and the best way to utilise teams. Kids fancy FIFA but I was into football manager. I was the football equivalent of weird in my family.
As I grew older, I studied the game and also played, but my head was better than the leg. I could sniff a tactical change but not find the perfect pass. Personal lamentations aside, I just loved the game.
I followed the Malaysian football team vividly. There were ups and downs but it was in 2007, I felt betrayed. Our players were playing in the Asia Cup in Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia co-hosted the tournament with Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam).
I remembered every name in those squad and monitored their progress with clubs. I felt they were great and certainly had some guile and passion in their game. Led by Norizan Bakar, who before taking over the national post was an astute coach in Perlis, Harimau Malaya were placed together with Iran, Uzbekistan and China.
Tough but I was optimistic. We had Hardi Jaafar, whose penchant for thundering shots and arrow like passes mesmerised the county. Then we had Hairuddin Omar, who was not really known for predatory skills but made it up with his work rate and ability to free up spaces for other forward players. Mohd Khairunnisam Sahabuddin never put a foot wrong for UPB-MyTeam in the Malaysian Super League.
However, they just self-destructed in all their matches. They lacked hunger, passion and some might argue that they do not have significant tournament experience, but at this kind stage, you only want to do your best.
Three years later, there was some ray of hope when Malaysia won the 2010 AFF Suzuki Cup. Players like Norshahrul Idlan Talaha, Safee Sali, S. Kunanlan and Muslim Ahmad were terrific during the tournament and gave me some cause for optimism.
But it was stop-start again. We had good times and bad times. It’s like going through a roller coaster, and at the end of the day, I became a realist. I realised that Malaysian football would remain stagnated for a while. Even National Football Development Programme (NFDP) gave me some hope but listening to what the media and authorities have to say about the whole programme, I felt it was a sham. At the end of the day, policies are just another way of looking ‘great’ in front of the eyes of the people.
So it begs the question if I should continue supporting Malaysian football or not? For me, it’s simple... I choose loyalty. This team will always be in my heart. Victory or defeat, these guys are playing for the flag... The flag I love. They may disappoint the Jalur Gemilang, but that beautiful flag never lets you down. It’s a symbol of peace and harmony.
Let me cut to the chase. The optimism in Malaysian football is slowly beginning to come back. The current AFF Suzuki Cup campaign looks great, and I’ve got to say, I’m suddenly feeling a burst of joy watching this side play.
Led by Tan Cheng Hoe, this Malaysian side is not only convincing but playing the game beautifully. It’s been a while since I have seen a team playing triangles and making angled distributions in a game. Our defenders used to hoof the ball over, but now we have ball-playing centre-backs.
Cheng Hoe always spoke about philosophy, and it is beginning to show. We had Khairy Jamaluddin and Lim Teong Kim talking about football DNAs, but this man is slowly building that with this national side. They were nervous in their first two games but certainly looked better in the Vietnam defeat but showed why they will be a force to reckon with in South East Asia again with an incredible 3-0 win against Myanmar at the National Stadium in Bukit Jalil.
Many would have said it’s just Myanmar, but if you watched the game, we were different. I watched eleven tigers on the field. From Farizal Marlias to Norshahrul Idlan Talaha, our players looked confident with the ball and in some parts, were actually having fun.
Then came the first-leg in the semi-final against Thailand and that’s where I felt that our football is back. It was a 0-0 draw, but we played like a man possessed. We were roaring all over the field but didn’t have the predatory instincts to finish them off. The war elephants were battered, but they weren’t brought down.
For fans, a win would have been great but for me, I told myself, we might be witnessing a new era if we give this gaffer support and time. Cheng Hoe is instilling confidence through his plays, and the players certainly love it.
In the past, we would have feared to play against Thailand, but these players had other ideas. I am not going to talk about statistics in this column, I just want to pen how I feel about this whole phenomenon.
Thailand goalkeeper Chatchai Budprom said “This is Thailand, this is the home of the War Elephants. Today, I wish them (Malaysia) a good night's sleep, because tomorrow we will give them a nightmare.” Malaysia will be facing Thailand in the second-leg of the semi-finals at the Rajamangala Stadium in Bangkok today.
Whether they are going to give a nightmare or not, our players will surely relish this experience. Big or small crowds, they are going to play their game. The coach has instilled that attitude in them, and when I spoke to the players during interviews, these players seem confident. In the past, they would be pessimistic, but now they want to just give their best.
To me, win or lose, these charges have done the nation proud. The game on December 1st was memorable to me because I felt a wave of optimism on my birthday.
I urge all the fans to back this team. Whether they go to the final or now out, let’s continue supporting this side. Let’s fill every stadium in our country, remember who these players are and make them feel important and be part of an uprising.
The team certainly has changed my perception of our football. Loyalty is there, but now I have hope. This is the time for us to back them. Coach Cheng Hoe certainly knows what he is doing. Thank you for bringing joy back in Malaysian football.