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. 

TOO MUCH TALK WILL DO US NO GOOD

LATELY there's has been a lot of talking about the sudden rise of our national football team by the so-called football pundits. Is not that I'm jealous or what but the talking by right should come from the team itself. This football pundits seems to knows our football very much. Some say the downfall of our football earlier it was because too much politicking in FAM. There's no grassroots programme. No football academy. Bribery scandal. Hiring foreign coach. Not enough exposure for young players local and abroad. Our football league with or without foreign players. And a lot more.

M'sia Olympic squad 1980

Now our football are just started to get back in the stride. They are now begin to say it is because of this sports schools, hiring local coach and Republic Czech exposure given to our national football team are reaping fruits by winning the SEA Games gold medal and the AAF Suzuki Cup success.

It all right we care and love our football. But don't go overboard. Where are still far behind. Compare during the 70's we are on par with Iran, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and better than South Korea and Japan. In the Asean region we are the King compare with Thailand, Singapore and Indonesia.

In the Olympics, we had qualified twice in Munich 1972 and Moscow 1980 but we must remember at that time it was a full sided team not under 23's side and now still we are in the qualifying round. For the World Cup sorry to say we  have no track record to be proud of. Is not that I underrate our boys potential but it just only the beginning. Give these boys some room. For those football pundits please do their talking wisely. But if our national football team lose they are the one who are the first to condemn it.

During our soccer doldrums remember those days where are our local media. There is not much coverage or written articles on our local football. Earlier you can read in the papers full report of the match and full team line-up and the reserves who played. But now it just the results sometimes even the goalscorer names never to be seen. Only teams that played in the Klang Valley had a full match report. By right these so-called football pundits, they should look at the area where they can support our football and criticise the papers to give more space to our football league. 

Lastly, I wish all the best to our national team playing against Taiwan at Bukit Jalil tonight. 

TERENGGANU - 2011 FA CUP CHAMPIONS

Pemain Terengganu meraikan kejayaan memenangi Piala FA 2011

SYABAS dan tahniah buat pasukan Terengganu apabila muncul juara Piala FA musim ini selepas menundukkan Kelantan 2-1 dalam masa tambahan. Tentunya jurulatih Irfan Bakti pasti menjadi orang paling gembira selepas melakukan percaturan dengan memasukkan pemain gantian Ahmad Nordin Alias bagi menggantikan Faruqi Ashaari sekaligus mencetus kebangkitan Terengganu dan berjaya menghasilkan gol kemenangan pada masa tambahan.

Sebelum itu ketika perlawanan berbaki 10 minit Nurul Azuan Roya berjaya meletakkan Kelantan mendahului 1-0 namun berlaku sedikit kesilapan di benteng pertahanan pada minit-minit terakhir menghidupkan peluang  Terengganu untuk menyamakan kedudukan hasil gol sendiri pemain pertahanan Daudsu yang menanduk bola masuk ke gawang gol sendiri.

Gol kemenangan pasukan Terengganu adalah hasil dari satu sepakan sudut yang berjaya ditanduk oleh ketua pasukan Terengganu, Marzuki kekawasan gol dan dirembat terus oleh Ahmad Nordin dalam kotak penalti.

Biarpun sebelum ini pasukan Terengganu tewas 0-3 kepada Kelantan dalam perlawanan Liga Super namun kemenangan malam tadi cukup bermakna  buat mereka untuk mengubati kekecewaan itu.

PIALA FA 2011 - KELANTAN PUNYAI KELEBIHAN

MENJELANG pertembungan antara dua buah pasukan gergasi pantai timur Kelantan dan Terengganu bagi merebut Piala FA Edisi ke- 21 di Stadium Nasional Bukit Jalil, Sabtu ini, bakal menyaksikan satu perlawanan yang menarik lagi sengit yang jarang dapat kita saksikan antara kedua-dua buah pasukan ini bertembung dalam mana-mana perlawanan akhir sebelum ini.