LET'S DO IT FOR OUR KING

NST Pix

It will be a perfect gift from the Harimau Malaya to the Yang di-Pertuan Agong Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah who celebrates his birthday on (Monday) Sept 9, with a creditable performance against United Arab Emirates (UAE) on Tuesday at the National Stadium in Bukit Jalil.

The national football team take on UAE in the second Group G pre-World qualifiers after an outstanding come from behind 3-2 win over Indonesia at the Gelora Bung Karno Stadium in Jakarta on Thursday.

Expectations are running high after the win in Jakarta for the national team to do well again against UAE, but it is a different kettle of fish they will be up against.

However, with morale high after their victory and national coach Tan Cheng Hoe expressing his hopes to see the team performance well again after what he termed as the national team’s best ever performance under him, there is a strong possibility that the team will rise to the occasion again.

UAE is ranked 65 in the FIFA world ranking, while Malaysia is ranked 159. Indonesia is ranked 160.

What better motivation do the players need then to deliver a win or at least a draw against UAE as a birthday gift to the football loving King.

The King last witnessed the national team play at the National Stadium in 2007 when Malaysia co-hosted the Asia Cup with four nations – Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam and Malaysia.

The national team then coached by Norizan Bakar lost to China 1-5 by China in opening match on Tuesday and lost to Uzbekistan 0-5. On Saturday, it was whipped 0-5 by Uzbekistan and the King, then Tengku Makhota of Pahang, and deputy president of FA of Malaysia, quit soon after the losses, only to return as President in 2014 and relinquished the post in 2017.

For all we know, the King and Queen, Tunku Hajah Azizah Aminah Maimunah Iskandariah, is an equally ardent football fan.

The Queen, is best remembered as a princess of Johor, had celebrated Johor first ever Malaysia Cup victory over Federal Territory winning 2-0 at the Merdeka Stadium, and she did a victory lap with the Johor flag.

 The Queen’s late father, Sultan Iskandar was then the 8th Yang Di-Pertuan Agong of Malaysia.