Mokhtar Dahari facts for kids
Mokhtar in 1975
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Mohd Mokhtar bin Dahari | ||
| Date of birth | 13 November 1953 | ||
| Place of birth | Setapak, Selangor, Federation of Malaya | ||
| Date of death | 11 July 1991 (aged 37) | ||
| Place of death | Subang Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia | ||
| Playing position | Forward | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 1972–1987 | Selangor | 375 | (177) |
| 1978 | Kelab Sultan Sulaiman | ||
| 1978–1984 | PKNS | ||
| 1984–1985 | Talasco | ||
| 1988 | Kwong Yik Bank | ||
| National team | |||
| 1972–1985 | Malaysia | 142 | (89) |
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Dato' Mohd Mokhtar bin Dahari (born 13 November 1953 – died 11 July 1991) was a famous Malaysian football player. He played for F.A. Selangor for most of his career. He is known as a football legend in Malaysia.
Mokhtar scored 89 goals in 142 international matches for Malaysia. This made him one of the top goal scorers in the world. He was a very strong and skilled forward. People called him Supermokh because of his amazing playing style.
In 2021, FIFA (the world football body) said Mokhtar was the third highest international goal scorer of all time. As of September 2022, only Cristiano Ronaldo, Ali Daei, and Lionel Messi had scored more goals than him for their national teams.
Contents
Early Life and Football Beginnings
Mokhtar Dahari was born on 13 November 1953 in Setapak, Selangor. This area is now part of Kuala Lumpur. He was the first son of Aminah Sharikan and Dahari Abeng. His father worked as a lorry driver.
When Mokhtar was 11, his family moved to Kampung Pandan in Kuala Lumpur. He went to Victoria Institution for secondary school. From a young age, he loved football and showed great talent. He played for his school team and later for his home state, F.A. Selangor.
Mokhtar's Amazing Football Career
Playing for Clubs
Mokhtar started playing for F.A. Selangor in the Burnley Cup, which they won. He soon became a regular player for the club. In his first season, he was the top scorer. He helped F.A. Selangor win many tournaments. They won the Malaysia Cup 10 times with him. He scored a total of 177 goals for the club.
He also played for other teams like Kelab Sultan Sulaiman, PKNS, Talasco, and Kwok Yik Bank. Mokhtar was very loyal to Selangor. He once said, "I live and die for Selangor."
Playing for Malaysia
Mokhtar was chosen to play for the Malaysian national team when he was only 19. His first international game was against Sri Lanka national football team in 1972. He helped Malaysia win a bronze medal at the 1974 Asian Games. He also won two gold medals at the Southeast Asian Games in 1977 and 1979.
In 1975, he scored both goals in a friendly match where a Malaysian team beat Arsenal F.C. 2–0. This led to rumors that big European clubs were interested in him. He even got an offer from Real Madrid C.F., a famous Spanish club. But Mokhtar chose to stay in Malaysia because he loved his country and his club.
Mokhtar was known for his speed and accurate shots. When he was 23, World Soccer magazine named him the Best Asian Striker. Crowds would often shout "Supermokh!" when he played. Many young players looked up to him and tried to copy his moves.
In 1978, Mokhtar scored an incredible goal against England B. He dribbled past many players and shot from the halfway line, beating the goalkeeper Joe Corrigan. After this game, Gordon Hill praised Mokhtar in Shoot! magazine, calling him "Hero Dahari".
Coaching the Next Generation
Later in his career, Mokhtar had some injuries. He then started coaching local young players. He wanted to help them become better footballers. One of his students was Roshan Thiran, who later became a successful CEO. Mokhtar also coached for F.A. Selangor at times. After he stopped playing professionally, he became a player-coach for Kwong Yik Bank.
Retirement from Football
Mokhtar Dahari officially retired in May 1986. This was after he helped F.A. Selangor win the Malaysia Cup again. After the award ceremony, he gave his number 10 jersey to the club president. He asked the club to keep it for him. However, he came out of retirement briefly in January 1987 to play one more season for F.A. Selangor.
Mokhtar's Personal Life
Before becoming a professional footballer, Mokhtar enjoyed other sports. He played badminton, sepak takraw, and hockey. He worked for PKNS in the afternoons and played football in the evenings. He later left PKNS to work for Kwong Yik Bank. This was to get better opportunities for himself and his family.
Mokhtar met Tengku Zarina Tengku Ibrahim through friends. They knew each other for 10 years before getting married on 24 February 1979. They had three children: Nur Azera, Mohd Reza, and Nur Arina.
Illness and Passing
Mokhtar started having problems with his throat. Doctors found out he had a serious illness that affected his muscles and nerves. Only he and his wife knew about this condition. He traveled to London with his wife to seek treatment.
After battling the illness for three years, Mokhtar passed away on 11 July 1991. He was at the Subang Jaya Medical Centre (SJMC). For a long time, the public believed he died from a different muscle disease. However, the true cause of his passing was revealed in a documentary called "The Untold Truth About Supermokh" in 2010. He was laid to rest at Taman Keramat Permai Muslim Cemetery in Taman Keramat, Ampang, Selangor.
Honours and Achievements
Mokhtar Dahari won many awards and titles during his career.
Club Achievements
- F.A. Selangor
- Malaysia Super League: 1984
- Malaysia Cup: 1972, 1973, 1975, 1976, 1978, 1979, 1981, 1982, 1984, 1986
- Charity Cup (Sultan Haji Ahmad Shah Cup): 1985, 1987
International Achievements
- Pestabola Merdeka: 1973, 1974, 1976, 1979
- King's Cup (Thailand): 1972, 1978
- SEA Games:
- Gold Medal: 1977, 1979
- Silver Medal: 1981
- Asian Games:
- Bronze Medal: 1974
Individual Awards
- National Sportsman Award: 1976
- World Soccer: The Best Asian Striker: 1976
- AFC Asian All Stars: 1982
- AFC Century Club: 1999
- OCM Hall of Fame: 2004
- FourFourTwo's Top 25 Malaysian Players of All Time (1st Place): 2014
Football Records
- All-time top scorer for Selangor FA: 177 goals
- All-time top scorer for Malaysia national football team: 89 goals
- All-time top scorer for men's national teams in Southeast Asia: 89 goals
- All-time top scorer for men's national teams in Asia-Pacific: 89 goals
- Former world's top scorer for men's national teams (1980–2004).
- Former Asian all-time top scorer for men's national teams (1979–2004).
Legacy and Remembrance
Mokhtar Dahari's legacy lives on in Malaysia. Several places and honors are named after him:
- The Mokhtar Dahari Community Square in Kampung Pandan, Kuala Lumpur, is a community hall named after him. He used to live and play football there.
- There is a futsal court called Gelanggang Mokhtar Dahari in Putrajaya.
- The Mokhtar Dahari National Football Academy was opened in 2014 in Gambang, Pahang. It helps train young football talents.
- The Shah Alam-Batu Arang Highway was renamed Persiaran Mokhtar Dahari in 2014.
- In 2014, Google celebrated his 61st birthday with a special Google Doodle.
- A theatre show about his life, called "Super Mokh", was performed at Istana Budaya. The Malaysian actor Awie played Mokhtar.
International Goals Summary
Mokhtar scored 125 goals in 167 appearances for Malaysia, including games against club teams and national 'B' teams. Against other countries' main national teams, he scored 89 goals in 142 appearances. This made him one of the world's top goal scorers for national teams at one point.
Filmography
| Year | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 1983 | Mekanik | Himself |
See also
In Spanish: Mokhtar Dahari para niños
- List of top international men's football goalscorers by country
- List of men's footballers with 100 or more international caps
- List of men's footballers with 50 or more international goals
