[hang nadim] Bekas pemain bola sepak kebangsaan meninggal dunia

PULAU PINANG 28 Ogos - Bekas pemain bola sepak kebangsaan yang dikenali sebagai penyerang berbisa, Isa Abu Bakar, 58, meninggal dunia di Hospital Pulau Pinang (HPP) di sini pada pukul 10.15 pagi ini.

Allahyarham yang juga merupakan adik kepada seorang lagi bekas pemain kebangsaan, Allahyarham Ali Bakar, disahkan meninggal dunia akibat kehilangan darah yang banyak selepas mengalami muntah berdarah.

Jenazah Allahyarham dibawa ke rumahnya di Gerbang Sungai Ara 2, Sungai Ara di sini untuk dikebumikan di Tanah Perkuburan Islam Jalan Perak, kira-kira pukul 6 petang.

Rakan seangkatan Allahyarham Datuk Mokhtar Dahari itu meninggalkan isteri, Mazlina Md. Ismail, 49, dan empat orang anak iaitu Nur Aishah, 22, Nur Liyana, 21, Nur Kamalia, 19, dan Muhd. Firdhaus, 16.

Menurut Mazlina, bekas penyerang kebangsaan itu mula dimasukkan ke Hospital Pakar Pantai Mutiara kelmarin kira-kira pukul 10 malam selepas muntah berdarah.

Jelasnya, Allahyarham kemudian dihantar ke HPP untuk rawatan lanjut dan dilaporkan tidak mengalami sebarang penyakit serta sihat dan mampu bergurau seperti biasa.

Malah, Allahyarham juga sempat membeli kotak penyejuk di sebuah pasar raya besar pada Rabu lalu untuk digunakan bagi menyimpan makanan dan minuman untuk menjamu rakan-rakan pada Hari Raya Aidilfitri nanti.

''Kami sekeluarga sebenarnya terkejut dengan pemergiannya kerana beliau langsung tidak menunjukkan sebarang tingkah laku yang pelik. Saya dan anak lelaki baru hendak bersiap-siap untuk melawat Allahyarham pagi ini.

''Tiba-tiba ada pegawai polis datang ke rumah dan memberitahu bahawa Allahyarham sudah meninggal dunia, saya tergamam seketika kerana baru hendak keluar melawat beliau," katanya ketika ditemui di rumahnya di sini.

Isa yang dilahirkan pada 25 Disember 1952 merupakan seorang pemain penyerang yang digeruni serta lincah semasa zaman kegemilangan yang dikecapi bersama-sama abangnya, Ali sekitar era 70-an dan 80-an.

Pemain kelahiran Pulau Pinang itu memulakan karier bersama skuad bola sepak kebangsaan pada 1974 dan pernah beraksi dalam Pesta Bola Merdeka 1976 dan Piala Presiden di Bangkok pada 1977.

Allahyarham Isa juga pernah membantu skuad kebangsaan memenangi pingat emas Sukan SEA pada 1977 di Kuala Lumpur apabila menundukkan Burma 8-1.
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Malaysia is currently in 157th position out of 190 countries in the FIFA world ranking. Malaysia’s performance worst than Thailand (117th), Singapore (127th), Vietnam (131th), Indonesia (132th), and even Hong Kong (137th) and India (147th). The teams were beating boys for Malaysia, but it's a total different story recently, these teams stand an equal chance to beat Malaysia and some are well above Malaysia's standards. Read FIFA/Coca-Cola World Ranking.

Why Malaysia’s football gone to the rubbish? The truth is 70’s national team consisted multiracial and competent players. Our team has lots of excellent records that able to proud of. The multiracial team qualified for the 1972 and the 1980 Olympics. Now when look at the players in our national team, all nothing more than a single race players that showing their ‘Beckam’ style hair fashion and playing football like school boys.

We have failed to show those days ‘Malaysian’ team, please don’t sweep racism issue under the carpet. Many of ethnic Indian, Chinese, Sabahan and Sarawakian boys are keeping their dream to play for the nation football team, please fulfill their never-ending dream. In fact, our nation always claim that football is our no 1 sport despite the lousy condition of the national team. Let me tell you the truth that the people in the street look at me a kind when I wear Malaysian national football jersey. Why? Because they lost confident on the national team!

Don’t you remember Mokhtar Dahari, R Arumugam and Soh Chin Aun? R Arumugam tightened the goal box and Soh Chin Aun in solid defense and Mokhtar Dahari’s took part in forward with his sharp attacks, our national team qualified for 1980 Moscow Olympics and also won bronze medal in 1974 Tehran Asian Games. The trio was in the most-feared Malaysian team. Don’t forget that Malaysia was once beaten Arsenal when Mokhtar scored twice to overcome the English club. Along with Shukor Salleh, Santokh Singh, Wong Choon Wah, Hassan Sani, Chow Chee Keong, Reduan Abadullah, Isa Bakar, Bakri Ibni, Lim Teong Kim, the Malaysian team was among the best in this region.

Since then Malaysia have never had a team which came close to the passion, drive and hunger to emulate the success of the 70’s national team. Now our nation team even couldn’t qualify for the Asian cup by appears as beaten boys for Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia and Vietnam. Football is to unite multiracial Malaysia, don't use it as a tool to depress the minorities! Admit that minorities are Malaysian too, give them chances to deliver their talent in the national team.

I hope my sincere message reach FAM, I wrote this article because I’m a true Malaysian that love football very much. Immediate reformation needed if we wish to see our national football team shines again as it was in 1970s and 1980s.