KUALA LUMPUR – The Harimau Malaya have had their fair share of great goalkeepers standing between the posts with players like R. Arumugam, Peter Rajah, and Awang Isa – who once donned the black and yellow jersey – never failing to mesmerise fans with their amazing saves and reflexes.
The team that qualified for the 1972 Munich Olympics is still a source of pride for Malaysians today. Coached by Jalil Che Din, the remarkable class of ’72 etched their place in Malaysian football history with both star power and exploits.
Malaysia qualified for the 1972 Olympics in style and with an unbeaten record – not conceding a single goal in wins over Japan (3-0), South Korea (1-0), Taiwan (3-0), and the Philippines (5-0).
Among the pioneers of this triumph was none other than Wong Kam Fook, who stood tall with his iron fist, saving Malaysia’s defensive wall at all costs.
Speaking to Scoop, the 74-year-old shared his insights on the current state of Malaysian football, expressing concerns about the declining standards of goalkeeping.
He believes that reviving the glory of yesteryears lies in nurturing exceptional goalkeepers who could match the skill and prowess of their predecessors.
“It’s sad to see how our Malaysian goalkeepers are performing in this era.
“Back in the days, when the ball was harder, players like myself and Arumugam used to save them with ease as we mainly focused on catching the ball instead of blocking it into dangerous areas of the pitch.
“Times have changed, and the ball has become lighter. Our goalkeepers are struggling to punch the ball out of the penalty box or find their targets accurately through their goal kicks.
“Nowadays, goalkeepers have become full-time footballers – training with the best clubs and facilities, and I’m surprised to see how their goalkeeping standards have gone down the doldrums.
“Our national team will go nowhere if we don’t have a formidable goalkeeper in the years to come,” said Wong.
Wong, who was awarded the best goalkeeper in the 1972 Munich Olympics qualifiers, also refuted Malaysia’s chances of qualifying for next year’s Paris Olympics.
“If you ask whether I want a million dollars or to play in the Olympics, I will choose to play in the Olympics as a participant.
“Back in the days, I tended to regret if my team didn’t qualify for the Olympics because I always had this passion to play in the biggest sporting event.
“I wanted to see all the other sportsmen from other sports and learn from them on how they manage themselves and do their training such as Mark Spitz (7-time American gold medalist swimmer), I used to adore the way he takes care of himself.
“It’s going to be impossible for our national team to qualify for the Olympics now, but in case they change their mindset and have the same passion and desire, maybe one day we can see the team playing in the Olympics, like how I did in 1972,” Wong added.
In the 1972 Munich Olympics, the Malaysian team creditably won one match and lost two. Malaysia’s opening Group A match against football superpower West Germany at the Olympic Stadium in Munich was played in front of 60,000 spectators.
They went down 3-0 but bounced back with a 3-0 victory over the United States. However, Malaysia lost 6-0 to Morocco in their last group match.
Aside from his playing days for the national team between 1970-1974, Wong also played for Perak FA from 1970-1972 and won the Malaysia Cup in 1970.
Upon migrating to Hong Kong, where he also worked as an electrical engineer, he turned professional and played for local league teams such as Seiko, Rangers, South China, and Caroline Hill, spanning from 1972 until 1984.
In 2004, he was inducted into the Olympic Council of Malaysia’s Hall of Fame for the 1972 Summer Olympics football team. – December 1, 2023