My Soccer World

KUALA LUMPUR Sept 23 – The late Mokhtar Dahari, who struck fear in the hearts of defenders throughout Asia during his heyday, has been named among the top 30 Asian players of the century.

He was picked in a poll conducted among Asian sports journalists and football experts by the International Federation of Football History and Statistics (IFFHS).

Mokhtar, who passed away in 1991, was the second Malaysian to be honoured by the IFFHS. The first was Chow Chee Keong who was named among the top 30 Asian goalkeepers of the century in a previous poll.

While Mokhtar was ranked 30th on the IFFHS list, Singapore’s Fandi Ahmad is just a rung higher at 29.

Fandi, who recently announced his retirement from international football, was one of the few Asian players to have had European experience following his short stint with FC Groningen of Holland in early 80’s.

The best ranked South East Asian players though are from Thailand who have Piyapong-Pue On on 19th spot and Sritong-In Natipong on 25th.

Heading the list is South Korea’s Cha Bum Kun who coached the South Korean side to the France 98 World Cup.

He had a grand stint as a player in Germany and scored 98 goals in 308 appearances in the German Bundesliga for Eintracht Frankfurt and Bayer Leverkusen. He was also a member of South Korea’s 1986 World Cup side.

Another South Korean Kim Joo Sung is second in the rankings. He had participated in the final rounds of the 1990 and 1994 World Cup and was a three-time Asian Footballer of the Year.

Saudi Arabia’s Abdullah Mohammed Majid is third with Japanese Kazu Miura and Kumishige Kamamoto fourth and fifth respectively.

The top four on the Asian list are candidates for next year’s election of the World Best Player of the Century to be done at IFFHS World Football Gala 99 at the Mierotels Hall in Rotenburg, Germany, on Jan 10.

Utusan Malaysia