Review: Ola Bola

How do you motivate 1980s footballers to run 20 laps? Anyone who doesn’t finish has to get a crew-cut. Photos: Astro Shaw

Striker Ali (Luqman Hafidz) picks up a brilliant pass from Ong Tiam Cai (Lim Jian Wen). He brings the ball into the penalty area. With less than five minutes left on the clock, he must make this shot or Malaysia will not qualify for the 1980 Olympic Games in Moscow. The atmosphere in the stadium is electric. Can he do it? Can he score this goal and bring the team to victory? He shoots and he .... Sorry, we’ll have to get back to you later about that.

Directed by Chiu Keng Guan, Ola Bola is set in 1980 where the focus is on the national football team training to qualify for the Olympic Games. Led by temperamental captain and defender Chow Kok Keong aka Tauke (JC Chee), the team members have a problem: they can’t seem to get along.