Friday November 6, 2009
Former great hopes to see second triumph in 61 years
PETALING JAYA: Former Negri Sembilan great M. Joseph is keeping his fingers crossed that the state football team will bring the coveted Malaysia Cup back home after 61 long years.
The former double international, who represented Malaysia in football and hockey, said the Negri team of the 60s never came close to making the final.
M. Joseph “We never got a chance to come close to the final then. The other teams were far too strong at that time,” said the 75-year-old Joseph from Seremban yesterday.
He wished the present Negri squad, under coach Wan Jamak Wan Hassan, good luck and hoped that they would bring home the Malaysia Cup after Negri last won it in 1948.
“I watched the historic final when the late Kwan Soon Teck scored the winner in our 2-1 win over Selangor in the first post-war Malaya Cup final in 1948,” recalled an excited Joseph, who was just 14 then.
“They were a great team then. Most of the players came from the Negri Sembilan Chinese Recreational Club (NSCRC) ... club football was strong back then,” added Joseph, who played for Negri Indians before joining the Negri Sembilan Indian Association (NSIA).
Soon Teck was the hero for Negri when he headed in the winner on Oct 1, 1948, at the Victoria Institution (VI) ground in Kuala Lumpur. Negri won the replay after the first final in Seremban ended in a 1-1 draw.
Newspaper reports on the replay stated that Lieutenant J. Whitehead beat Selangor goalkeeper Cornthwaite from a freekick to give Negri a 10th minute lead.
Selangor equalised two minutes later through a solo effort by Vijeretnam, who scored with a rising shot. Skipper Soon Teck’s winning header came in the 56th minute.
“For Negri to qualify for the final again is a great achievement and I hope we win it this time. I have not been following the local game much but it is pleasing news to me and Negri,” said Joseph, who ended his involvement with the game after last coaching club side NS Chempaka in 1998.
Negri have qualified for two finals since 1948 – losing 0-2 to Perak in 2000 and 1-2 to Perlis in 2006.
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