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PETALING JAYA: Malaysian soccer legend Namat Abdullah, a key member of the 1972 Munich Olympics team, died after a battle with cancer. He was 74 years old.
Namat died at his daughter’s home in Kamunting, Perak at 5.30 pm and will be buried in the Sungai Petani Muslim cemetery tomorrow.
A Penang player from 1965 to 1975, he was caps for the country 115 times, last wearing the national colors at the 1975 Jakarta Anniversary Tournament.
He made his debut for the national team in 1968 when Malaysia won the Merdeka tournament by beating Burma 3-0 in the final.
He was captain of the national team after M Chandran’s retirement after the 1972 Munich Olympics.
Earlier this year, the FMT story about the former prison officer’s fragile condition prompted Yang di-Pertuan Agong, Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah, to send his old friends to visit Namat at his daughter’s home in Taiping. , Perak, during the confinement.
Abdah Alif, a fellow footballer and special officer of Sultan Abdullah, said at the time that the King instructed him to gather together some former players from the national team and convey his message to Namat to stay strong.
These included Abdah’s brother Yunus, former national captain and president of the former International Football Association, Soh Chin Aun, Ahmad Yusof, former Penang players Khalil Hashim and Azdzmi Md Nor, Ramli Mahmud of Pahang FA and the executive director of Perak Khairil Shahril.
Later in an interview with FMT, Namat said that she was encouraged by seeing her peers from the 60s and 70s.
“It is a great motivation for me to keep fighting. I am grateful to the King for his great gesture and generosity ”.
