PIALA SUMBANGSIH 2012 - MILIK NEGERI SEMBILAN

SENTUHAN `MIDAS' JURULATIH AZRAAI KHOR MENJADI BAWA TUAH BUAT PASUKAN NEGERI SEMBILAN.

Tidak dinafikan sentuhan bekas jurulatih yang pernah membimbing Kedah musim 2007/2008 merangkul tiga kejuaraan berturut-turut tentu 

ianya suatu pencapaian yang boleh dianggap mustahil. 

Namun itulah hakikat sebenarnya tuan empunya diri yang kini menjadi 

jurulatih Negeri Sembilan yang sudah boleh dianggap sebagai `Special One' selepas berjaya membawa skuad Hobin Jang Hobin merangkul dua piala iaitu 2011 Piala Malaysia dan terbaru Piala Sumbangsih 2012 satu-satunya piala yang belum upaya dimiliki selepas dua kali percubaan.

Yang menjadi lebih menarik lagi dalam pertandingan Liga Super musim lalu kedudukan pasukan Negeri Sembilan agak kurang memberangsangkan namun selepas Azraai mengambil alih bagi menghadapi Piala Malaysia tiba-tiba ianya berubah dan seterusnya berjaya membawa pulang Piala Malaysia dengan menewaskan Terengganu 2-1 dalam perlawanan akhir.

Begitu dengan persediaan bagi menghadapi Piala Sultan Ahmad Shah musim ini. Persiapan pasukan Negeri Sembilan agak terganggu ekoran penghijrahan secara mendadak lima tonggak utama meninggalkan pasukan berhijrah menyertai pasukan lain. Namun perjudian dan yakin terhadap pemain muda dan baru itu berjaya membuahkan hasil apabila berjaya mengatasi lawan yang dianggap pilihan Kelantan 2-1.

Dalam perlawanan akhir Sabtu lalu, Azraai Khor menampilkan ramai muka-muka baru seperti Mathevanan, Mohd Shakir, Rashid Mahmud, Tengku Qayyum dan penyerang import tunggal dari Cameroon Jean Emmanuel Effa Owona. Selain muka lama seperti Norhafiz Zamani Misbah, S. Kunanlan dan Shuhairain Abu Samah.

Biarpun pada satu ketika Negeri Sembilan ketinggalan 0-1 hasil jaringan Norshahrul Idlan Talha tetapi mereka berjaya bangkit dengan pemain import yang pernah beraksi dengan kelab Hatta Dubai itu meledakkan dua jaringan untuk memberi kemenangan berharga buat skuad bimbingan jurulatih itu.

Jelas pemain muda dan muka-muka baru itu langsung tidak menunjukkan rasa gementar berhadapan dan bersaing dengan pasukan lawan malah berjaya mempamerkan corak permainan yang membanggakan dengan komitmen yang begitu tinggi sekali.

Sekali lagi diucapkan sekalung tahniah buat pasukan Negeri Sembilan semoga terus berjaya. 

WE CREATED ANOTHER HISTORY.

After winning the SEA Games Gold medal back in 2009. The national football teams started creating history after history. Second to follow is winning the AFF Suzuki Cup 2010 and recently just concluded 2011 SEA Games Gold medal.

Not just winning but they way they work and struggle their way out and later proved they are a really worthy champions. But the things that really tick me to write is `it is just like a fairy-tale' and to make it more special that all the feat is being done on foreign soil.

In the AFF Suzuki Cup in our first group match we were humiliated and soundly beaten 5-1 by the host Indonesia.But we crawled back and work our way out and qualify into the final. Despite all the hassle and tussle created in the second leg by Indonesian fans and being escorted using the army armoured vehicle to the Gelora Bung Karno stadium. We won it fair and squared.

And then came the 2011 SEA Games in Indonesia. We were drawn in the group of death with the likes of Thailand, Singapore and including the host. We emerged top of the group by defeating Indonesia 1-0 in our last group match in a full capacity home crowd. Despite the defeat it was reported they field a second fiddle side.

We then qualified in the final and guess what? We met Indonesia for the second time. And the host certainly looks confident and their fans wants revenge for their team loss in AFF Suzuki Cup and the earlier group match.

With a full house atmosphere they host shock us by taking an early lead. But we came back to level the tie. Both teams fails to find net in the full 90 minutes dragged into extra time and later was decided on penalties. It was really a heartbreaking moment for the host as we again triumph in the spot kick and thus defend the gold medal. 

We definitely silenced the home crowd and during the prize giving ceremony the Bung Gelora Karno was emptied.

The team deserved credit and coach Ong Kim Swee like Dato' K.Rajagopal he did his job well even though the are time when Ong was suspended from the bench.The players and the coaching staff  work very hard indeed on their way and prove their worth to be in the final.

But again in my previous column if you guys happen to read - lastly I would like to remind to all the Malaysian football fans that this kind of achievement could not happen just like that. It take years to come this far. Not but least we must thank and not to forget those coaches from the state working tirelessly in grooming and producing this group of young players at their tender age. Especially those coaches who are attached with the state football academy. Credit too must given to them. I am sure this coaches are the most happiest of them all.

The truth is, the rise of our Malaysian football surely we should be thankful to the father and creator of this such academy programme the late Dato' Paduka Ahmad Basri from Kedah would be surely smiling in heaven.

FAM should thank them if not for them the national body is just a bunch of crap. After nearly more than 10 years FAM is still in the dark and unsure about the football academy programme in the state FA's that they had created.

At a certain point they nearly close to shut down this programme but luckily the National Sports Council saw it and put this programme under their wings and collaborate with National School Sports Council. If FAM had been more focus on the programme with a solid base structure guidelines the national sides had already been higher up the ranks and could be much better.

Suddenly throughout the country everybody is talking about football. Even though the AFF Suzuki Cup and the SEA Games is just for the Asean countries but still the passion and the hunger from the fans is unbelievable.

Again it was a full house event at the kampong coffee shop it was pack with the veterans and otais all getting together watching with great interest for nearly two hours. Nasi lemak, roti canai, mee goreng, telor mata kerbau, maggie curry and teh tarik were sold out. Not to mention with the Indonesian fans at the other table.

Now it seems the fans are proud wearing the national Malaysian football team jersey blue and yellow everywhere. Before names such as Norshahrul, Safiee Sali, Safiq Rahim and now Khairul Fahmi, Badrol Bakhtiar, Mahali, Asarudin, Muslim and Fadhli Shas. Last not least is our new young talent Nazmi.

He has the touch which he did remind me of Azizul Abu Hanifah and the grace of Wong Choon Wah.

MALAYSIA ON COURSE - EDGING THAILAND 2-1

                 A far much better display shown by the National U-23 side by seeing-off the Thais 2-1 in the second group SEA Games football match at Bung Karno Stadium yesterday. Skipper Badrol Bakhtiar started off the momentum when he scored the opener in the 25th minute. Thailand drew level 1-1 before substitute Izzaq Faris Ramlan got the winner late in the match.

Congrats to the team..they truly deserve the praised.They shown their all round strength and capability but again the same old story crept back that saw the neighbours got their equaliser and nearly snatched away the much needed three points.

Izzaq celebrate after scoring the winner

The 2-1 result do not reflect the exact scenario of the match. By right..everybody watching the match should agree that we could win with a bigger margin after missing a couple of chances. At least now the team are doing what they should have to do and they are in the right direction.

Our next match will be against Cambodia..and they must treat them just the same as like any other team. Yes many will agreed Cambodia is the weakest side in the group after being thrashed by 6-0 by the home side Indonesia. But against Singapore they proved otherwise only to go down by 2-1. And that should have give us the message  - do not underrate them.    

A GOALESS DRAW - NOT A BAD RESULT

STALEMATE - not a bad result. As the defending champions we know there will be huge pressure on the team. Opponent will surely come barging at all angles and certainly they will lift their game to the highest level to beat us. That is why the match was played at a very high tempo and there is no room to move and the players can feel their opponent breathing down their neck.

Defending wise we look solid and stable with Khairul Fahmi in goal looks confident. That's give us the extra edge. In midfield we did not stamp enough authority. Skipper Badrul Bakhtiar did work hard enough but still he lacks support from Gurusamy and Shukur. Gurusamy form was below he usual standard. His movement was cut out by the opponent. While Shukur looks uneasy whenever with the ball.

And the front line in the likes of Fakri and Thamilrasu could not hold their ground only for Shahrul Azwari on the right looks far more dangerous compare to those two.

Meanwhile in another group match host Indonesia sounded an early warning when they thrashed Cambodia 6-0.  

TAHNIAH NEGERI SEMBILAN JUARA PIALA MALAYSIA 2011

TAHNIAH kepada pasukan Negeri Sembilan kerana berjaya mengungguli Piala Malaysia buat kali ke-3 selepas menundukkan Terengganu 2-1 dalam perlawanan akhir di Stadium Shah Alam, Sabtu lalu.

Sudah semestinya orang yang paling bertuah ialah jurulatih Negeri Sembilan, Azraai Khor Abdullah yang berjaya merencanakan strategi licik bagi memerangkap anak-anak buah Irfan Bakti untuk merangkul mahkota kejuaraan kali ini.

Memang tidak dinafikan jentera serangan skuad penyu yang diketuai Abdul Hadi dan Manaf Mamat cukup berbisa dengan dibantu gandingan mantap Ashaari Shamsuddin bersama Joseph Kallang Tee di bahagian tengah berjaya membenam dua pencabar sengit Selangor dan Kelantan diperingkat suku dan separuh akhir sebelum ini untuk mara ke final.

Namun Azraai yang sememang sudah lali diperingkat paling tinggi ini bijak menganalisis kekuatan lawan dan mengeksploitasi dengan begitu berkesan. Ashaari walaupun berjaya menghasilkan gol tetapi pergerakkannya agak sedikit terbatas. Begitu juga dengan Abdul Hadi dan Joseph yang terus tenggelam pada final malam itu. Hanya Manaf Mamat yang paling menonjol antara mereka berempat.

Tindakan bekas jurulatih Kedah itu menggunakan formasi 4-5-1 sedikit sebanyak berjaya merencatkan corak permainan pihak lawan. Namun Terengganu punyai peluang untuk memenangi perlawanan selepas mendahului 1-0.

Akibat terlalu berhati-hati bagi memastikan kedudukan itu kekal mereka mula mengamalkan corak permainan bertahan sehingga memberi ruang untuk Negeri Sembilan menggandakan asakan sekali gus mengikat permainan.

Penyerang berpengalaman Hairuddin Omar turut bertindak cemerlang dan bagi saya final kali ini jelas adalah perlawanan terbaik beliau.  

ASHAARI THE KEY TO GUIDE THE TURTLE FOR THE DOUBLE

TERENGGANU will surely banking on midfielder Mohd Ashaari Shamsuddin to deliver the goods for Turtle to win the Malaysia Cup and complete a double this year.

Despite being overlooked by the national coach K. Rajagopal in the recent World Cup qualifying campaign. The midfielder quietly continued to produce a worthy performance in guiding Terengganu fine run throughout the Malaysia Cup campaign. In which raised some eyebrows and question mark on why he was not in the national sides.

The 26th year old midfielder who seems to have the knack of scoring a well struck goals in which he has shown and proved it couple of times against Kelantan in the quarterfinals and Selangor in the semis. 

He seems to have great understanding with Joseph Kallang Tee and Abdul Manaf Mamat in the Terengganu midfield engine room. The Maran born lad looks comfortable taking the ball past his opponent and a tireless worker. 

But Terengganu have shown they are not a one man team. Despite Ashaari absence in the FA Cup final against Kelantan due to injury. Irfan Bakti side proved otherwise with a comeback from behind to win the cup. Wish all the best to Ashaari and co at Shah Alam Stadium.   

HAIRUDDIN GUNNING FOR A HAT TRICK

7 goals leading goalscorer.

NEGRI Sembilan hit-man Hairuddin Omar is gunning for a hat trick of Malaysia Cup winners medal in a row
a feat which no other local born have done before.
Only coach Chow Kwai Lam babes the city boys in the like of Razip Ismail, Chow Siew Yai, See Kim Seng, Mat Zan Mat Rais and Tang Siew Seng have done the triple.


In 2009 he was on loan with Negri and guided the Deers to taste their second Malaysia Cup title after 61 years by defeating Kelantan 3-1 in the final. 


In last year's Malaysia Cup finals,  the 32-year old wore the Kelantan jersey and guided the east coast side to their first ever title with a 2-1 win against former team Negri Sembilan. On both occasion the striker name was on the score sheet.


And come this Saturday, 29th October at Shah Alam Stadium the Setiu born striker will face his former state team Terengganu in the Malaysia Cup final 85th edition. Hairuddin last won the cup 10 years ago in 2001 with the Turtles under coach Mat Zan Mat Aris.


The Deer ace is on hot streak scoring seven goals and currently the tournament leading scorer. It must be heartbreaking for his former team if he does score and guided Negri for their third title in three straight finals on Saturday night. If he does it will be his fourth Malaysia Cup winners medal.


Here is the statistics:- If Negri win  - It will be Hairuddin fourth winners medal & 3 in a row.
                                      If he scored - It will be all in 3 finals he score a goal.
                                      If he scored - his team will win the cup.