Fans savage highly-paid Malaysian footballers over 6-0 humiliation by strife-torn Palestine

KUALA LUMPUR — Outraged by Malaysia’s stunning 6-0 defeat to Palestine on home soil yesterday (June 17), fans of the national football team took to Facebook to pour their contempt.

In a sarcastic Facebook post on the qualifying match for the 2018 World Cup, the Malaya Tigers – self-described hard-core supporters of the Malaysian team – posted the monthly salaries of six Malaysian players, ranging from RM40,000 (S$14,300) to RM85,000, to show the differences between the two teams.

This was placed in a side-by-side comparison with a photograph of the Palestine football team and scenes of destruction and rubble, with men carrying bloodied bodies likely as a result of the conflicts in Palestine.

The Facebook post was summed up as Palestine “6 vs 0” Malaysia, in reference to yesterday’s game at Bukit Jalil Stadium where the former scored three goals in the first half before taking up the remaining three in the second half.

The Malaysian football team or Harimau Malaya’s performance yesterday attracted scorn and derision, with detractors criticising the players for allegedly only keeping their eye on the money and glamour and preferring personal showmanship over teamwork.

A Facebook user identified as Muhammad Firdaus noted that Palestine had worse training conditions than Malaysia and said the latter were “embarrassing”. “Better to go home and fold clothes,” he wrote.

Facebook user Muhammad Is’ad Mohd Said alleged that the players had different motivations. He said that while Palestine fights for the country, Harimau Malaya fought for money. “In the past Harimau Malaya fought for the country, that’s why it succeeded,” he wrote.

A Facebook user pointed out that countries like Palestine do not even have a football league, unlike Malaysia, while another said that those who should be blamed are the players, the coach and the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM).

But some users defended two of the Malaysian players featured on the Facebook page, stating that they did not play in yesterday’s match.

The Facebook post, which was dubbed Fakta antara pemain Palestine dan Malaysia (Facts between Palestine and Malaysia’s players), had garnered 618 likes at the time of writing.

Malaysia’s head coach Dollah Salleh said he was disappointed at the players for failing to fight back despite a good start in the second half, noting that they appeared to have “given up” when the fourth goal was conceded to Palestine.

Dollah said more careful preparation was needed, adding that character changes were required and suggested that he may change half of the player line-up.

The Malaysia team is scheduled to play a friendly match against English Premier League Club Liverpool at the National Stadium on July 24, before engaging with the United Arab Emirates team in the next World Cup qualifying match on Sept 3. MALAY MAIL ONLINE