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Bekalan tipis ke Pakistan


Pemain Malaysia, Wan Zaharulnizam Wan Zakaria (dua dari kiri) merembat bola melepasi tiga pemain Pakistan dalam perlawanan kelayakan Olimpik di Stadium Shah Alam, malam tadi. Malaysia menang 2-0. - AFP


SHAH ALAM - Menang tetapi masih belum cukup! Skuad Olimpik Malaysia sekadar merakamkan kemenangan 2-0 ke atas Pakistan dalam aksi berat sebelah di Stadium Shah Alam yang dihadiri kira-kira 10,000 penyokong setia negara, semalam.

Walaupun menguasai sebahagian besar perlawanan dengan Pakistan beraksi 10 pemain sepanjang babak kedua, skuad negara gagal meraih kesempatan memperoleh gol sebanyak mungkin bagi menutup terus cabaran lawan dalam 90 minit seterusnya.

Kemenangan dua gol tanpa balas itu sebenarnya belum menjanjikan keselesaan buat Ong Kim Swee dan pemain yang akan bertandang ke Lahore, Pakistan pada 9 Mac ini bagi melengkapkan pertemuan kedua pusingan pertama.

Dua pemain muda, Wan Zaharulnizam Wan Zakaria dan Mohd. Irfan Fazail muncul wira negara dengan gol pada separuh masa pertama pada minit ke-3 dan 45.
Seperkara lagi, anak-anak buah Ong Kim Swee ternyata perlu memperkemaskan lagi tahap permainan para pemainnya jika mahu melangkah jauh dalam kelayakan kali ini.

Kim Swee ketika mengulas persembahan anak-anak buahnya berkata, dia amat berpuas hati dengan prestasi para pemainnya yang berada pada tahap terbaik.

Namun, katanya, dia masih belum pasti untuk menurunkan skuad yang sama ketika bertandang ke Lahore, memandangkan anak-anak buahnya terpaksa mengharungi beberapa perlawanan Piala FA sebelum ke Pakistan.

"Misi kita ke Lahore ialah mendapatkan tambahan dua lagi gol dalam memastikan kemenangan berada dalam genggaman skuad negara dan saya juga amat berpuas hati dengan prestasi penjaga gol, Khairul Fahmi Che Mat," katanya.

Jika diukur persembahan keseluruhan yang masih menampakkan banyak kelemahan daripada segi hantaran dan lambat dalam melakukan serang balas terutamanya pada aksi separuh masa pertama.

Beberapa pemain terutamanya Ahmad Fakri Saarani dan K. Gurusamy mempamerkan permainan di bawah tahap sebenar manakala Ahmad Shakir Ali banyak melepaskan peluang terhidang.

Selain kegagalan jentera serangan memperoleh gol tambahan pada separuh masa kedua, ketangkasan penjaga gol gantian, Muhammad Umer menyelamatkan dua percubaan terbaik negara pada minit ke-60 dan 65.

Suasana di Stadium Shah Alam sudah gamat pada minit ke-3 apabila Zaharulnizam yang beraksi di bahagian sayap kanan melepaskan rembatan cantik sebelum menerjah ke sebelah kiri gawang Pakistan ketika Yousuf Ejaz Butt sekadar terpaku.

Skuad Olimpik Malaysia bagaimanapun tiba-tiba memperlahankan sedikit rentak sambil penjaga gol yang juga kapten, Khairul Fahmi Che Mat beberapa kali melakukan sedikit kesilapan yang hampir menghadiahkan gol buat Pakistan.

Sikap panas baran penyerang Pakistan, Ansar Abbas menyepak Khairul akhirnya mengundang padah apabila pengadil dari Hong Kong, Liu Kwok Man melayangkan kad merah pada minit ke-44.




Oleh MUHAMMAD DAYNE AZMIN dan ZAZALI JAMIAN
sukan@utusan.com.my

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