THE Malaysian Indian Sports Council (MISC) football team had a fruitful outing on their maiden run in the Piala Emas Raja-Raja (PERR) after defeating Persatuan Bolasepak Melayu Malaysia (PBMM) in the finals.
They clinched the title after a convincing 2-1 win over tournament host PBMM at Kuala Lumpur Stadium.
PBMM, which last won the title in 1994, were favourites going up against the newcomers of the tournament in the deciding match for the 79th edition of the competition.
MISC took the lead after 17 minutes of play through a towering header from Jeremy Lim Wei Shen, receiving the ball from M. Thinaadakharan, who delivered a perfect cross in front of the goalmouth.
The goal signalled a change of pace in the match with both sides fired up after a nervy start.
MISC went all out to increase their lead before half-time but PBMM’s defence stood firm while they had to thank their goalkeeper Muhamad Aqil Abdul Razak as he denied PBMM an equaliser with some fine saves.
A light drizzle during the second half made the conditions challenging for the players as both sides had a hard time keeping possession and creating chances.
After a number of off-target shots from PBMM, they finally equalised in the 69th minute when substitute Mohd Hafifi Mohd Salleh found a gap between the defenders to slip the ball just out of Muhamad Aqil’s reach.
Sadly for PBMM, their joy was short-lived as two minutes later PBMM captain Muhammad Alif Mazlan deflected the ball into his own net from a free kick that was taken by Thinaadakharan.
The dying minutes of the match was an exciting affair as PBMM and tournament top scorer Nabilah Khan Razali had a golden chance when he was left unmarked outside the box. Unfortunately, he failed to hit the target as the referee blew the final whistle and PBMM’s players fell to the ground in despair.
MISC team coach Yogeswaran Veeramalai, elated with the victory, commended his players on their performance and commitment in the final.
“I am also very proud of them for this achievement because it’s the first time we were invited to be part of the competition and we made it to the finals.
“Our goalkeeper played very well in the finals and if not for him, the match would have been very different.
“PBMM played a very good game but the difference is that when we got our chances we were able to turn them into a goal.
“I dedicate the victory to MISC for giving me the opportunity to lead the team, ” he added.
PBMM coach Zolkifli Samion congratulated MISC on their achievement and his players who gave their best and for not giving up easily.
“We had a last minute chance to equalise in the final moments of the match and we missed it but we will try harder in the next edition, ” he said.
The 79th edition of the competition, which has been played since 1922, is the oldest football tournament in the country involving 17 teams from Malaysia and one from Singapore.
MISC picked up the title along with a RM40,000 cheque while PBMM had to settle with RM20,000.
MISC’s 21-year-old Jeremy, centre-back from Malacca, who was awarded the Best Player of the Final and RM500, was surprised by the decision.
“I thought our keeper Muhamad Aqil deserved the award, so I will share this with him unofficially and split the money.
“I haven’t been scoring much and I lost some confidence in the earlier matches, but this time, I just decided to try anyway and I never expected to score, “ he said about contributing his goal.
“Thinaadakharan has been consistent since the first game and he placed the ball perfectly for me, ” the former PJ City Under-21 President Cup player added.
PBMM’s Nabilah Khan Razali, who scored four goals throughout the tournament that began in September, picked up an extra RM500 for being the top scorer of the tournament.
The finals was attended by Pahang Princess Tengku Puteri Iman Afzan and Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) president Datuk Hamidin Mohd Amin.
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