The glory days of Malaysian football


R. Arumugam, better known as Spider-Man, dives across to make an acrobatic save to block a powerful shot from South Korean striker Jung Hae Won during the Merdeka Tournament final on July 15, 1979. Captain Soh Chin Aun (right), Bakri Ibni (on the ground) and Shukor Salleh look on anxiously. Malaysia and South Korea shared the trophy after a 0-0 draw at Stadium Merdeka. Between July 1979 and April 1980, Malaysia played South Korea a total of four times, making these fiery ties such blockbuster affairs as both teams strived to be the best in Asia. Photos: The Star Archives

Where does fact end and fiction begin? When it comes to Malaysia’s greatest – and arguably, most heartbreaking – football story, the Asian Group 2 pre-Olympic football qualifying rounds in Kuala Lumpur in early 1980 is a tale of love and spirit for the country that has transcended generations.

The quest to qualify for the Moscow games, depending on who you speak to, has survived a mix of lucid and cloudy memories.

Get 30% off with our ads free Premium Plan!

Monthly Plan

RM13.90/month
RM9.73 only

Billed as RM9.73 for the 1st month then RM13.90 thereafters.

Annual Plan

RM12.33/month
RM8.63/month

Billed as RM103.60 for the 1st year then RM148 thereafters.

1 month

Free Trial

For new subscribers only


Cancel anytime. No ads. Auto-renewal. Unlimited access to the web and app. Personalised features. Members rewards.
Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel for breaking news alerts and key updates!
   

Next In People

Santa Claus joins sharks for a holiday swim at a Rio de Janeiro aquarium
Just keep playing: Cuba’s enduring love affair with radio soap operas
Coexistence needed between humans and wildlife living in residential spaces
First aid, long underwear: German cities help people in twin cities keep warm
Engineer lives in underwater capsule for months to set world record
Frenchman takes part in 80-day sailing race on dry land, raising money for charity while going nowhere
60YO Malaysian is a star on German cooking competition programmes
Gukesh Dommaraju: Indian teen with chess world at his finger tips
Meet the man selling 50,000 coloured pencils at Tehran's Grand Bazaar
How this Malaysian with phocomelia stood up to a bully in high school

Others Also Read