NST Online: Sports

Football: Safee and Norshahrul to reunite

Posted: 06 Oct 2011 05:15 PM PDT

2011/10/07
By Devinder Singh
devinder@nst.com.my

Safee Sali (front) and Norshahrul Idlan Talaha have not played together since June.

SAFEE Sali and Norshahrul Idlan Talaha will finally reunite on the playing field against Australia in Canberra today after injuries kept the two forwards apart since early June.

National coach K. Rajagobal has not been able to field Safee and Norshahrul together in the national team's last seven matches since a 1-1 draw with Hong Kong on June 3.

Norshahrul's absence was particularly missed as Safee at times was left alone to shoulder the burden of scoring goals for Malaysia during a run which included four World Cup qualifiers against Taiwan and Singapore and friendlies against Myanmar, Arsenal and Liverpool.

But now that Norshahrul is back in fine form after scoring twice in Kelantan's 2-0 win over Felda United in his last outing, Rajagobal is keen for his favoured attacking pair to hit the ground running, having utilised Hadi Yahya previously with mixed success.

"As you know, Norshahrul has missed a number of games due to injury and I have been forced to include other players in the team.

"But now that he is back, I want to see if he can resume his understanding with Safee. I have also Shahrizal Saad and Izzaq Faris Ramlan at my disposal which was one reason why I did not include Hadi.

"This is a chance for the players to show me what they can do against a strong team like Australia," said Rajagobal.

Malaysia's reputation as AFF Cup champions will count for nothing despite having beaten Australia 1-0 when the two teams last met at the 1992 Jakarta Anniversary tournament as the gulf has widened considerably in the 19 years since with the Aussies ranked 19th to Malaysia's 147th.

Today, a majority of the Australian players ply their trade in Europe and East Asia while Safee is the only Malaysian player based abroad with Indonesia's Pelita Jaya.

Rajagobal, who was assistant to Ken Worden in 1992, cautioned against expecting Malaysia to produce a similar result against Australia, who are without Mark Schwarzer, Tim Cahill, Harry Kewell and Brett Emerton.

"You must understand that Australia are a better team but we will try to play our football and use the occasion to test a few new players," he said.

Goalkeeper Khairul Fahmi Che Mat will be counted upon to repeat the heroics displayed in the Olympic qualifier against Japan to keep the Australians at bay.

But Australia coach Holger Osieck is certainly not underestimating the challenge posed by Malaysia as they warm up for a World Cup qualifier against Oman four days later in Sydney.

"I think Malaysia are a good opponent for us because they have a similar style as Thailand and we can see like in our first qualifier, these games are not easy," Osieck said, according to Australia Associated Press.

"It's a different type of football, and I think down the road we have to prepare for any style of football.

"In their home game against Singapore, they played in front of a crowd of 90,000, so they cannot be a Mickey Mouse team, I assure you," he said.

MALAYSIA XI (probable): Khairul Fahmi Che Mat; Mahalli Jasuli, Norhafiz Zamani Misbah, Muslim Ahmad, Asraruddin Putra Omar; S. Kunanlan, Amar Rohidan, Joseph Kalang Tie, Khyril Muhymeen Zambri; Safee Sali, Norshahrul Idlan Talaha.

Badminton: Korean help for pair

Posted: 06 Oct 2011 05:13 PM PDT

2011/10/07
K.M. Boopathy
boopathy@nst.com.my

Koo Kien Keat (left) and Tan Boon Heong are expected to be coached by Yoo Yong Sung (inset).

THE BA of Malaysia (BAM) will hire former South Korea international Yoo Yong Sung as a men's doubles coach in an attempt to help Koo Kien Keat-Tan Boon Heong win gold in the London Olympics next year.

Yong Sung, 37, who won silver medals with Lee Dong Soo in the 2000 and 2004 Olympics, is currently a club coach in South Korea and is expected to start work with BAM on Nov 1.

Yong Sung will assist Pang Cheh Chang in a move aimed at getting Kien Keat-Boon Heong back to the top.

National Sports Council (NSC) director general Datuk Zolkples Embong, after a joint-committee meeting with BAM officials at his office in Bukit Jalil yesterday, said it is good that the association is trying its best to help Kien Keat-Boon Heong win gold in London.

"BAM proposed Yong Sung to help Kien Keat-Boon Heong to rediscover their form and we (NSC) have no problem with that. It will benefit Kien Keat-Boon Heong as they will learn some of the Koreans' tactics which have proven to be very effective in men's doubles over the years," said Zolkples.

"Yong Sung used to be South Korea's second pair with Lee Dong Soo and hopefully, he can guide Kien Keat-Boon Heong to become a top pair again.

"However, I have asked BAM to pay his salary for the next six months and we will evaluate his performance after that.

"What is important is for Kien Keat-Boon Heong to become gold medal hopes again and we will continue our support for the players.

"It is good that BAM has stronger financial backing with the arrival of new sponsor Maybank and others and we want them to also be self sufficient in developing players while we will continue with our support as usual."

BAM made sweeping changes last month where Tan Kim Her took over from Rexy Mainaky as the men's doubles chief coach while Cheh Chang was put in charge of Kien Keat-Boon Heong.

Rexy has assumed the position of women's doubles and mixed doubles chief coach and is assisted by Jeremy Gan.

Kim Her's close relationship with the South Korean national team, when he was the men's doubles coach for several years, is said to be one of the main reasons behind Yong Sung's arrival.

Kim Her, himself, has been instilling some of the Korean methods of training to the back-up pairs since he was rehired by BAM in January last year and his task is expected to be much easier with Yong Sung as one of the assistant coaches.

BAM president Datuk Seri Nadzmi Salleh, deputy president Datuk Al Amin Majid, secretary Ng Chin Chai and general manager Kenny Goh attended the joint-committee meeting with NSC.

Kredit: www.nst.com.my

Khamis, 6 Oktober 2011

NST Online: Sports

NST Online: Sports

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