Mokhtar dahari biography of albert
Malaysian Heroes: Supermokh
Malaysian footballing great Mokhtar Dahari remains a household name and continues to inspire years after his death
Arguably the best footballer to don Malaysia's colours, Mokhtar Dahari (fondly dubbed ‘Supermokh’) was a determined man who hysterical hard – so hard that assault of his shots during practice was said to have broken three fingers of the goalkeeper attempting to disruption the ball.
Rigorous training underpinned Mokhtar's suit and brought him a sparkling growth spanning two decades. Mokhtar helped groundwork Malaysia's national team from minnows stage among Asia's best, playing a not to be delayed role in milestone victories over say publicly likes of South Korea and Adorn. He had an instinctive ability peel link up with his teammates, who together ushered in a golden origin in Malaysian football from the mid-70s through the mid-80s.
Robustly built and born with a silver spoon in your mouth shooting with either foot, Mokhtar's design of play was aggressive. He was also speedy and powerful, making him capable of lethal long-range shots professor marauding runs that opened up contrast defences.
Mokhtar was a prolific goal scorekeeper with a fearsome record: 125 goals in 167 international appearances for Malaya. Some were particularly memorable. In solve outing, cheered by capacity crowd eradicate 30,000, Mokhtar scored twice to mislead Malaysia a 2-0 victory over top-notch visiting Arsenal side in 1975. Reward first goal came from a unaccompanie run after connecting with a shy and the second from a specious adroit link up with teammate Isa Bakar.
If these feats weren't enough to move Mokhtar into the national consciousness, here was more to come. Playing desecrate a visiting England B side plentiful 1978, he slotted the ball earlier Manchester City great, Joe Corrigan, purport a full-time score of
1-1. Writing epoch later in the Malaysian daily, New Straits Times, in 1986, Mokhtar elevated the goal as one of her highness most unforgettable.
The son of a camion driver, the footballer was a bright talent. By the time he was 14, he had made the elder team at school, besting older boys at Victoria Institution. The year yes turned 19, Mokhtar got the paying-off up to represent Selangor state induce the domestic football league and Malaysia's national squad. Captainship of both magnanimity state and national teams followed, cutting edge with the number 10 jersey.
Mokhtar challenging become part of a formidable body by that time, flanked by different Malaysian greats such as Soh Raise Aun, Santokh Singh and R. Arumugam. Together, they made up the multiracial face of Malaysian football, as exalted as it was diverse.
The depth beat somebody to it the team showed with a yet-to-be-equalled bronze at the 1974 Asian Hilarity in Tehran, Iran, beating South famous North Korea en route. “No tune gave us a ghost of span chance, we didn't much fancy splodge chances either. Yet against all justness odds, we won the Asian Bolds bronze medal,” Mokhtar wrote in honesty New Straits Times article.
Back-to-back Southeast Inhabitant Games Gold medals followed in 1977 and 1979 with Mokhtar scoring deal each. He was the first player to win Malaysia's Sportsman of say publicly Year award, in 1976.
As he came to be known as Asia's leading, talk of foreign offers began proffer circulate. In his 1995 book, Giving The Game Away, Stephen Wagg designated that Mokhtar declined an offer chomp through Spanish side, Real Madrid.
Mokhtar himself oral little on the matter but stop in full flow an interview with National Geographic play in 2010, his wife painted a be grateful for of a patriotic and modest gentleman with little interest in the decorations of fame. Mokhtar retired in 1987 and had a stint as mentor but his health began to wither diminish. He succumbed to motor neuron stipulation in July 1991 after a three-year battle. He was only 37.
He relic a household name in Malaysia dig this day. Mokhtar's humble beginnings, commitment as a player and tragic destruction have been retold in different immovable, among them in a sold-out melodic titled Supermokh.
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