Foul!

As published in Malay Mail today       By Haresh Deol haresh@mmail.com.my KUALA LUMPUR — Ultras Malaya insisted they were not to be blamed for the heavy punishment meted out by Fifa against the FA of Malaysia (FAM) following riots at the stands during the World Cup/Asian Cup qualifier between Malaysia and Saudi Arabi on Sept 8.   Its leader Alfadli Awaludin, popularly known as Rambo, said critics ought to look at the root cause of the incident at Shah Alam Stadium instead of playing the blame game.    Fans had launched flares, smoke bombs and firecrackers onto the pitch in the 88th minute of the match to vent their frustration following Harimau Malaya’s 10-0 defeat to United Arab Emirates in a previous qualifying match. Fifa handed FAM a 40,000 Swiss francs (RM180,000) fine and a warning. The Sept 8 match was also awarded to Saudi with a 3-0 score.   “If anyone thinks the Ultras are to be blamed, then they are being very shal...

As published in Malay Mail today By Haresh Deol haresh@mmail.com.my PETALING JAYA — Datuk Ong Kim Swee has been named interim national coach after Dollah Salleh called it quits following a humiliating 10-0 bashing by United Arab Emirates (UAE) in Abu Dhabi. FA of Malaysia (FAM) general secretary Datuk Hamidin Amin, who is also the national team manager, broke the news to Ong after a meeting with FAM president Tengku Abdullah Shah yesterday. The former international has barely three days with the players before Harimau Malaya host Saudi Arabia at the Shah Alam Stadium on Tuesday. “They (players) are down. No words can describe how they feel. We could be looking at some of them giving up, or being replaced if they are not mentally strong,” said a source within the national coaching set-up. “Ong met the players at a hotel in Petaling Jaya yesterday to motivate them. It’s not easy for him too, as this was thrown upon him without warning.” Another insider said Ong, th...

As published in Malay Mail today Being Frank  By Frankie D'Cruz THE Malaysia shirt should be a superhero costume, turning people into extraordinary sportsmen.  Instead, we have a bunch of chronic underachievers who malfunction the moment a football match starts. Yet again, the Malaysian football team has reneged on their duty to the country but then, if the serial losers, their coach Dollah Salleh and the FA of Malaysia think about it, perhaps they will see that they betrayed no one more than themselves. It is collective suicide. In one corner, we have the FAM that has created a farce; its froth is just a stink bomb that keeps on exploding. In the other corner, are our national footballers who have never failed to push back the frontiers of the unacceptable.  In the middle is clown Dollah, a former top striker-turned-worst coach ever. These spoilt lot were left free to do what they liked by their entire hierarchy.  They had no limit, no sense of duty. An...