KUALA LUMPUR – “Don’t forget, always hold to your principles and take good care of the future of sports in Kedah.”
This was the last message sent by former Kedah FC head coach Azraai Khor Abdullah to his ‘blue-eyed’ player Baddrol Bakhtiar, two days ago
Azraai, who led Kedah to unprecedented football success, died today after suffering a stroke at the age of 71.
Azraai played for Kedah (1969-1986) and the national team (1975-1978) before he was appointed as the state team’s head coach from 2004-2009.
Under his stewardship, Kedah swept all major domestic football titles in the 2007 and 2008 seasons.
Speaking to Scoop, the former Kedah FC midfielder and skipper said that he was forever indebted to his former coach for moulding him into a successful person in life.
“I’m forever grateful to coach Azraai for giving me a life. Without him, I wouldn’t have become what I am today. I remember very well that I used to be a mischievous boy when I was playing for the Kedah U-19 team (2005-2006).
“There was once when coach Azraai came to the training ground and warned me about my attitude and told me that I needed to change my attitude and be a disciplined player if I wanted to succeed in my football career.
“I then took his advice and worked hard and achieved a lot of success with him at Kedah FC, which is still fresh in my mind.
“His aura, discipline, and his caring personality for the young players and wanting them to succeed in their life remind me a lot of former Manchester United manager, Sir Alex Ferguson,” said Baddrol, who made a total of 235 appearances and scored 80 goals for the Canaries between 2006-2021.
Baddrol was part of coach Azraai’s back-to-back treble-winning team which also saw him winning the PFAM (Professional Footballers Association of Malaysia) young player of the year award in 2007 and 2008.
Baddrol, who is also a member of the Kedah state legislative assembly for Gurun, also said that he was always in contact with Azraai even after his retirement, and they both have always spoken about the development of football in Kedah.
“Coach Azraai was more than a coach for me; he was like my father. He would always give me a call and message every morning, and I’m going to miss that a lot.
“Every day he would talk to me about the current situation of football in Kedah, the player development programmes, and also the importance of former players like me to give back my knowledge to the grassroots players in the state.
“His last message to me was that since I’m now a representative, I should not forget my duties and always hold to my principles and take good care of the future of sports in Kedah.
“This message was sent a couple of days before his demise during the player selection for the U-17 tournament with Madad (Murtadha Dakwah Centre), which is scheduled to take place next week in Gurun. I will pray for coach Azraai, and may his soul rest in peace,” Baddrol added.
The news of Azraai’s passing was first shared by his son, Firdaus Zainuddin, on Facebook.
It is understood that Azraai was rushed to Kedah Medical Centre after suffering a stroke.
In addition to the previously listed accomplishments, Azraai also became the head coach of the national Harimau Muda squad in 2010. He was then instrumental in Negri Sembilan’s 2011 Malaysia Cup triumph. – February 8, 2024