Thursday 15 September 2011

Kelantan legend Dali Omar shares his experience of playing abroad

Kelantan football legend Dali Omar is one of the few Malaysians to have made waves abroad.

As a 26-year-old, and at the prime of his career, the national striker set out to make a name for himself in Australia in 1972.

He landed a year’s trial with First Division side Azzurri of Perth (now known as Perth Glory) and mesmerised them with his skill and tenacity.

He then turned to coaching with Olympics Kingsway before finally settling down in Australia.
Twenty-nine years later, in 2000, Dali returned home.

Dali, now 65, still has fond memories of the time he made waves in Western Australia 40 years ago.

“I was the first one to go out of Malaysia. At that time, I was the master in scoring goals, especially with my shooting and heading abilities,” he recalled from his home in Kota Baru yesterday.

“It was my mental toughness and good playing ability that made me an instant hit with the Australian club. I got down to business in the opening game itself, scoring a hat-trick. I remember the fans were screaming and calling me Pele! ... Pele!

“The message is simple for all aspiring footballers ... if you want to survive in Europe, then you just have to be better than them. There are no two ways about it.

“That’s what I did in Australia. I ran faster than them, jumped higher than them ... even my shots were better than theirs. My advice to all wannabe footballers is to be strong mentally and physically.

“Only then can you compete with the players in the top divisions over there,” added Dali, who was surprised that he was featured in The Star’s “reliving 40 years” series yesterday.

He said that it would be tough for Malaysians to adapt to high intensity football.

“It is a different game compared to what we are used to here. One must be able to read the game and play according to the book ... otherwise you are out,” Dali said of his playing days with Azzurri.

Dali, who also played an instrumental role in Kelantan football during his heyday, said his biggest regret was his surprise omission from the 1972 Munich Olympic squad.

“They left me out. I am still disappointed because they had promised that they would include me in the squad. I was in prime form. It broke my heart when I learnt that I was not in coach Jalil Che Din’s squad,” said Dali.

Dali was a member of the Malaysian team in the Asian Youth Tournament in 1963 at the age of 17. He also featured with the national team from 1963-1969.

He also had a message for the national body, the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM), saying: “It’s sad that my services are not required by the national body. Malaysian football lacks prolific goal-getters and I would love to impart my knowledge and share my experiences with the younger generation.

“It is sad that I have been forgotten.”

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