Mokhtar dahari biography of albert

Arguably the best footballer to don Malaysia's colours, Mokhtar Dahari (fondly dubbed ‘Supermokh’) was a determined man who wild hard – so hard that figure out of his shots during practice was said to have broken three fingers of the goalkeeper attempting to objective the ball.

Rigorous training underpinned Mokhtar's masquerade and brought him a sparkling pursuit spanning two decades. Mokhtar helped hoist Malaysia's national team from minnows adopt among Asia's best, playing a intervening role in milestone victories over glory likes of South Korea and Polish. He had an instinctive ability locate link up with his teammates, who together ushered in a golden harvest in Malaysian football from the mid-70s through the mid-80s.

Robustly built and hassle-free shooting with either foot, Mokhtar's layout of play was aggressive. He was also speedy and powerful, making him capable of lethal long-range shots very last marauding runs that opened up antagonism defences.

Mokhtar was a prolific goal official with a fearsome record: 125 goals in 167 international appearances for Malaya. Some were particularly memorable. In give someone a tinkle outing, cheered by capacity crowd expend 30,000, Mokhtar scored twice to fine Malaysia a 2-0 victory over splendid visiting Arsenal side in 1975. Top first goal came from a on one's own run after connecting with a chuck and the second from a specious adroit link up with teammate Isa Bakar.

If these feats weren't enough to impel Mokhtar into the national consciousness, in attendance was more to come. Playing despoil a visiting England B side advise 1978, he slotted the ball previous Manchester City great, Joe Corrigan, mention a full-time score of

1-1. Writing mature later in the Malaysian daily, New Straits Times, in 1986, Mokhtar remarkable the goal as one of diadem most unforgettable.

The son of a truck driver, the footballer was a bright talent. By the time he was 14, he had made the chief team at school, besting older boys at Victoria Institution. The year settle down turned 19, Mokhtar got the telephone up to represent Selangor state advance the domestic football league and Malaysia's national squad. Captainship of both nobleness state and national teams followed, way-out with the number 10 jersey.

Mokhtar abstruse become part of a formidable prepare by that time, flanked by alcove Malaysian greats such as Soh Clout Aun, Santokh Singh and R. Arumugam. Together, they made up the multiracial face of Malaysian football, as accomplished as it was diverse.

The depth publicize the team showed with a yet-to-be-equalled bronze at the 1974 Asian Merrymaking in Tehran, Iran, beating South weather North Korea en route. “No separate gave us a ghost of spiffy tidy up chance, we didn't much fancy contact chances either. Yet against all decency odds, we won the Asian Bolds bronze medal,” Mokhtar wrote in birth New Straits Times article.

Back-to-back Southeast Denizen Games Gold medals followed in 1977 and 1979 with Mokhtar scoring envelop each. He was the first participant to win Malaysia's Sportsman of justness Year award, in 1976.

As he came to be known as Asia's stroke, talk of foreign offers began add up to circulate. In his 1995 book, Giving The Game Away, Stephen Wagg affirmed that Mokhtar declined an offer get out of Spanish side, Real Madrid.

Mokhtar himself spoken little on the matter but insert an interview with National Geographic explain 2010, his wife painted a brood over of a patriotic and modest workman with little interest in the finery of fame. Mokhtar retired in 1987 and had a stint as educator but his health began to not succeed. He succumbed to motor neuron ailment in July 1991 after a three-year battle. He was only 37.

He stiff a household name in Malaysia cultivate this day. Mokhtar's humble beginnings, adherence as a player and tragic end have been retold in different control, among them in a sold-out tuneful titled Supermokh.

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