I’ve never scored a goal in my life without getting a pass from someone else.
– Abby Wambach, American football player
This week I have decided to stay away from the political hustle and bustle and controversial topics to concentrate on something harmless — sports.
Looks like 2020 is not a good year for soccer as we saw the passing of several football greats, including Argentine superstar Diego Maradona and Italian 1982 World Cup hero Paolo Rossi.
But first let me rehash a popular football joke which made its rounds soon after the 2006 World Cup.
It went something like this. A Korean asked God when Korea would win the World Cup. God replied it could take 100 years. The disappointed Korean cried as he would not be able to see his country take the cup in his lifetime.
Then a Japanese man asked God the same question. When God said it might be in 200 years, the Japanese wailed as he knew he would never get to see his country win football’s ultimate trophy in his lifetime.
Finally, a Malaysian decided to try his luck; he plucked enough courage and asked: “God, will Malaysia win the World Cup in my lifetime?”
This time God cried!
If you think the state of football has improved in this country, you are wrong. The declining standard of the country’s football is no laughing matter.
The latest Fifa ranking places Malaysia in 153th position out of 210 countries. Even countries like the Philippines, Vietnam, Myanmar and lowly India are ranked above us.
I really don’t know what’s happening to Malaysian football. It’s about time Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) officials pull up their socks and arrest the declining standards before we sink further into the abyss of a new dark age.
At one time our football administrators roped in foreign imports into the local leagues. But despite spending millions on these foreigners, our standard remained stagnant, or should we say, plummeted!
I think we should look at how African nations, despite being stricken by poverty, still managed to put together teams worthy of giving the Europeans a run for their money at major tournaments like the World Cup and Olympics.
If you are football followers you would see many Africans playing in the European leagues. What makes them tick? How do the Africans do it?
Can we swallow our pride and send FAM officials on an African feasibility tour instead of looking towards European nations?
If the Africans can do it, there must be something special about their football training methods. Village boys are picked from the remotest parts of the continent and turned into deft players who are grabbed by English and European clubs. Even China is turning to Africans to beef up their leagues.
FAM officials must be prepared to accept criticisms and new ideas instead of shutting out the critics. If they are beyond reproach, I am afraid God will continue to cry for Malaysia indefinitely.
Earlier I mentioned about the passing of Maradona and Rossi, two of the world’s best football heroes.
Maradona died of cardiac arrest at the age of 60 on November 25. He is considered to be in the category of Brazil’s Pele and Netherland’s Johan Cryuff. Some say he was even better than Pele or Cryuff.
Who could forget the match against England in the 1986 World Cup quarterfinals when Maradona single-handedly demolished the English defence with his ‘Hand of God’ goal and his solo effort from the midfield where he ran riot in the opponents’ defence and scored that gem of a goal. Still remember it?
Maradona was, no doubt, one of the greatest stars Argentina has ever produced.
Another legendary player whom the football world lost a few weeks ago was Rossi, the Italian who crucified favourites Brazil in the second group stage in the 1982 World Cup. He put in three past goalie Claudio Taffarel and sent the Brazilians home early.
I witnessed the match live on TV. It broke my heart and I am not ashamed to say tears were streaming down my cheeks.
Brazil had always been and will continue to remain as my favourite team. Whether they reach the final stage of the World Cup or are sent home packing in the early stages, my loyalty with them stays.
Rossi, who died on December 9 at the age of 64, was one of the top Italian footballers in his own time. He was inducted into the Italian Football Hall of Fame in 2016.
Meanwhile, on the home front, among the Malaysian greats who died this year was national legend Datuk Mohamad Bakar. He passed away on November 8.
Mohamad began his career in the 1960s and joined the national squad which qualified for the 1972 Olympic Games in Munich. He was an assistant coach of the squad that qualified for the 1980 Moscow Olympics.
Another great Malaysian who passed on was V Krishnasamy who left us on August 3.
The midfielder was in the national Olympic team for the Munich Games in 1972 and again in 1974 when the team made it to the qualifying round in Seoul. He played for the national team from 1970 to 1976.
FAM needs to go on a talent hunt to produce players of calibre who could match stars like Santokh Singh, Datuk Mokhtar Dahari, Datuk Soh Chin Ann and R Arumugam.
Don’t wait for good players to drop on your laps. It will never happen!
