Legend ‘Ma Baker’ was the ultimate football servant

PETALING JAYA: Former football legend and national team coach Datuk Mohamad Bakar (pic) passed away yesterday at the age of 75. The former teacher holds the rare distinction of being the ultimate football servant – as a successful player, coach and football administrator.Mohamad, who had been suffering from bone marrow disease for a few years, passed away at the Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) in Kepala Batas.

Nicknamed Ma Baker by his teammates due to the Boney M hit in the ‘70s, he represented Penang from 1963-1975, scored the winner in the 1974 Malaysia Cup final against Perak for a 2-1 victory.

The right winger was among the players who featured in the 1972 Munich Olympics, the only time a Malaysian football team played at the Games. He was also assistant coach when Malaysia qualified for the 1980 Moscow Olympics but the team boycotted the Games.

He was a 1974 Teheran Asian Games bronze medallist and collected 43 caps.

The 1972 Olympics squad goalkeeper Wong Kam Fook said Mohamad was a quiet player.

“I didn’t share much interaction as he was quite a reserved person but as a teammate and a friend, he’s a very humble guy and a hard worker. He also talks less but shows what he can do with the ball, ” said Kam Fook.

Mohamad was born in Singapore in 1945 and followed his policeman father who was transferred to Penang in 1958.

His footballing talent was identified by Penang coach and Football Association of Penang (FAP) treasurer Ooi Ewe Choo when he was representing the Muslim Recrea-tion Club (MRC).

After retiring in 1975 due to a leg injury, he obtained a degree in Physical Education in Universiti Pertanian Malaysia before completing his Masters in Sports Administration at the Ohio University in the US.

He was then appointed as the national team coach and led Malaysia to the football gold medal at the 1979 SEA Games in Jakarta.

Former international Wan Jamak Wan Hassan, who played under Mohamad as a rookie, said the veteran left an indelible mark in his coaching career.

“I was a youngster in that star-laden SEA Games squad which had players who featured in the 1972 Olympics. Then it was difficult to get a chance to play but coach Mohamad always motivated me by telling me to never give up. He’s soft-spoken but had the knack of getting the best out of players, ” said Wan Jamak.

“I still remembered his coaching method which I used when I became a coach. He always said conditioning sessions shouldn’t be too long. The players must not be too fatigued in training as it would affect their game performance.”