Published: Friday September 28, 2012 MYT 12:02:00 PM
Updated: Friday September 28, 2012 MYT 1:55:55 PM
'Raja Bola' Ghani Minhat passes away
By ERIC SAMUEL
Ghani (left) discussing a point with his former football buddies Datuk Santokh Singh, Datuk M. Chandran and Wong Choon Wah during one of the local matches in 2011. PETALING JAYA: The legendary Raja Bola of Malaysia' Tan Sri Abdul Ghani Minhat passed away at 10.35am Friday.
The 76-year-old, regarded as one of Malaysia's greatest football players, had undergone a bypass operation at the National Heart Institute a couple of days ago.
His brother-in-law Datuk Nik Kamaruddin Ismail told Bernama that Ghani would be buried at the USJ 21 Muslim cemetery in Subang Jaya after prayers at the Kampung Baru Mosque.
AGhani leaves behind wife Puan Sri Tengku Aishah Tengku Ibrahim, two sons and two daughters.
Ghani was a dashing striker who represented the country from 1956 to 1963. He played for Selangor from 1955 to 1968.
Ghani (far left) watches former Dutch international Johan Cruyff at the launching of Cruyff Court Kuala Lumpur on Sept 3, 2012. Born on Dec 23, 1935 in Kampung Solok, Negri Sembilan, he played as a striker and winger while representing Selangor and Malaysia.
He was sent by the Football Association of Malaysia to undergo training at Eintracht Frankfurt, Germany and other countries.
Ghani currently holds the all-time record in Malaysia of scoring 106 goals in only 15 games. He scored 11 goals in a 15-1 victory over the Philippines.
According to Wikipedia, Ghani attended Princess Road School (now Sekolah Kebangsaan Jalan Raja Muda) at the age of 10 in 1945.
He represented the school football team and only played bare footed.
Two years later, Ghani attended Sekolah St. John's in Kuala Lumpur and continued to play for the school team.
In 1951, his talent is was spotted by local police officers who later gave him his first ever football boots.
In that time, only professional footballers can afford football boots as it was very expensive during the late 1950s.
Ghani's achievements include winning the Pesta Bola Merdeka in 1958, 1959 and 1960, gold medal in the 1962 SEAP Games, bronze medal in the 1962 Asian Games.
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