King, Queen offer condolences to Shaharuddin's family

KUALA LUMPUR: Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah on Friday conveyed his condolences to the family of national football legend Shaharuddin Abdullah, who died on Thursday at age 75.

Raja Permaisuri Agong Tunku Azizah Aminah Maimunah Iskandariah also expressed her condolences to the family of the deceased.

In a post on Istana Negara’s Facebook page, Their Majesties also expressed their sadness over the passing and hoped that the family members would remain patient and strong during this difficult period.

"Their Majesties pray that his soul be blessed by Allah SWT and placed among the faithful and righteous.

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"Their Majesties appreciate his service and contribution to the country and describe his demise as a huge loss to Malaysian football,” according to the post.

Shaharuddin was admitted to the Taiping Hospital on Sunday due to asthma and breathed his last surrounded by his children.

Nicknamed ‘The Black Cat’ and ‘Sharpshooter’, Shaharuddin was Malaysia’s first goal scorer at the 1972 Munich Olympic Games in Germany, and hailed from Bagan Dalam in Butterworth, Penang, and is remembered as one of the pivotal characters in the country’s football history.

To date, Shaharuddin is the fourth-highest goal scorer in Malaysia, with a total of 39 goals in 70 appearances. - Bernama