Football: Malaysia won Merdeka Tournament for the first time in 14 years!
Thursday, August 30th, 2007 | 1:02 am @ SK
Finally, something for us to cheer about in football when Malaysia won the Merdeka Tournament for the first time in 14 years after beating Myanmar 3-1 in the final at the Shah Alam stadium.
Malaysia team, who is represented by Under-23 side, may form the core of the national team to play in the pre-World Cup football tie against Bahrain in October, especially with the dismal performance of our senior team in the recently concluded AFC Asian Cup 2007.
Congratulations to the team and its coach B. Sathianathan, the timing couldn’t be better especially when we’re going to celebrate 50th years of nationhood tomorrow.
August 30th, 2007 at 8:46 am
MageP, I hate to break it to you, but if you compare the opponents we are facing for this year edition of Merdeka cup, they are hardly worthy. Sorry to say, we again became Jaguh Kampung. Where Merdeka Cup once attracts the best of Asia, now, it’s merely a political tool, to showcase the "victorious" football team.
:) See beyond the first line of facts.
Fellow Malaysian
August 30th, 2007 at 11:02 am
silentmenot,
Still, I’d like to congratulate the team for the achievement.
When the credit is due, it must be given.
August 30th, 2007 at 4:41 pm
Nothing big, but again, these 23yo prove something.
August 30th, 2007 at 11:05 pm
But us malaysians are just too used to mediocrity it’s weird.
when we don’t get what we are supposed to get, we just keep quiet. and when once a while, those that are responsible to do what they are doing, did it well ONCE, we all congratulates them as if there’s no tomorrow.
Pfft to FAM.
September 2nd, 2007 at 4:57 am
I’ve followed the tournament since Malaysia’a first match against Laos, and the under 23 boys won me over..
It may not be up the standard of the big-boys in Europe, but what impresses me was how "unmalaysian" the way they played.
We’re so used to the lacklustre style of play that a gritty display shown by the young squad was invigorating..Yes, it is a big deal, not so much in terms of wining the cup, but in sense of seeing a paradigm shift (albeit small) in our footballing ways. Sathianathan has done something right with the young squad..Kudos!
Just dont let them hang out too much with the seniors and the rest of the M league players..