Abdul Ghani Minhat
Malaysian footballer (1935–2012)
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Tan Sri Datuk Abdul Ghani bin Minhat PSM PJN AMN DSSA DIMP (Jawi: عبدالغني منحت; December 1935 – 28 September 2012)[3][4] was an association football player who represented Selangor FA and Negeri Sembilan FA from the 1950s to the late 1960s. He played as a striker and winger for both the Malaya and the Malaysia national teams. He was widely known by the nickname Raja Bola ("King of Football")[5] and is regarded as one of Malaysia's greatest football players.[6]
Negeri Sembilan, British Malaya
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| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Full name | Abdul Ghani Bin Minhat | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | 23 December 1935 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth |
Kampung Solok, Rantau, Negeri Sembilan, British Malaya | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Date of death | 28 September 2012 (aged 76) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of death | Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Position | Striker | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 1955–1968 | Selangor FA | 97 | (106) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 1969 | Negeri Sembilan FA | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| International career | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1956–1962 | Malaya | 57 | (58[1]) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 1963–1966 | Malaysia | 14 | (3[2]) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Managerial career | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1969 | Malaysia | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1970–1973 | Selangor FA | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1971 | Malaysia B | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1973 | Malaysia | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1975–1976 | Malaysia | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1983–1985 | Selangor FA | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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| * Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Early life
Abdul Ghani Minhat was born on 23 December 1935 in Kampung Solok, Rantau, Negeri Sembilan.[7] He began his education at Princess Road School in 1945 at the age of 10.[7] During this time, he represented the school football team, often playing barefoot. In 1947, he enrolled at St. John's Institution in Kuala Lumpur and continued playing for the school team. In 1951, his talent was noticed by local police officers, who gave him his first pair of football boots. At the time, such equipment was expensive and typically only affordable to professional players.
Club career
At the age of 17, his talent was spotted by police officers who invited Abdul Ghani to play for the Police Depot Football Team in the Selangor League.[8] He was assigned to play as a left winger, despite being right-footed, and used the opportunity to develop his left-foot skills.
In 1955, Abdul Ghani was selected to play for Selangor as the team aimed to win the HMS Malaya Cup for the first time in six years. Selangor met Singapore in the 1956 final.[9] Abdul Ghani contributed to Selangor’s 2–1 victory by scoring a goal and was praised by his teammates for his performance. Following the match, he was called up by national coach Neoh Boon Hean to represent the Malaya national team in a friendly against Cambodia.
He continued to play for Selangor in subsequent years, during which the club became one of the most dominant teams in Malaya and Singapore, earning the nickname "The Red Giants." Alongside players such as M. Chandran, Stanley Gabrielle, Robert Choe, and Arthur Koh, Selangor was considered a powerful and formidable side.
One of Abdul Ghani’s most valuable experiences came in 1962 when he was sent on attachment to train with several clubs in Europe, including West Ham United, Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur, Cardiff City, and Eintracht Frankfurt.[6] These attachments were part of an effort to provide him with greater exposure and advanced training.
In 1967, Abdul Ghani helped Selangor qualify for the inaugural 1967 Asian Club Championship. The team reached the final after defeating Tungsten Mining FC of South Korea. In the final, Selangor lost 2–1 to Hapoel Tel Aviv in Bangkok.[10] Despite the loss, Selangor was commended by the Football Association of Malaysia for being the first Malaysian team to reach the final of the Asian Club Championship.
Abdul Ghani officially retired in 1968, with the 1968 Malaysia Cup final marking his last appearance.[11] Selangor won the match with a decisive 8–1 victory.[12]
International career
Abdul Ghani first played for the Malaya national team when he was named among the 17 players which represent Malaya in the 1956 AFC Asian Cup qualification, together with the youngster Ray Crawford.[13][14] On 17 March 1956, Abdul Ghani's first appearance with the national team was very impressive when Abdul Ghani scored an amazing seven goals to helping Malaya beat Cambodia 9–2.
The following year, he scored his first goal in the first ever edition, inaugural 1957 Pestabola Merdeka from an amazing 40 meters rocket shot against Vietnam in the tournament held at the Padang TPCA, Princess Road in 1957. But Abdul Ghani was disappointed after failing to win the trophy for his country after Hong Kong emerged as champions.[15] Abdul Ghani managed to overcome his disappointment in 1958 when he helped the national squad won the 1958 Pestabola Merdeka after being the group champions above Hong Kong and Indonesia.[16]
Abdul Ghani then helped Malaya to retain the title Pestabola Merdeka in 1959 after beating Indonesia 2–1. He later received the title 'King of ball' from Football Association of Selangor (FAS), a title later used by anyone to refer to him for his brilliant performance for Malaya.[17]
He completed his hat-trick in the 1960 Pestabola Merdeka. Malaya eventually shared the title with Asian Giants, South Korea. On 15 August 1960, he was selected members to form the AFC Asian All-Stars tour of Europe, which never materialized.[18][19][20] In 1961, Abdul Ghani help the national team's to won the gold medal in the 1961 SEAP Games (now SEA Games) in Rangoon, the Burmese (now Myanmar) after beating the Burma in the finals.[21]
Abdul Ghani helped Malaya to won the 1962 Asian Games bronze medal after beating South Vietnam 4–1.[22][23]
After the defunct of Malaya national team in 1963, a combined team with the combination of players from Federation of Malaya and Singapore under the name of new nation, Malaysia was proposed by Tunku Abdul Rahman to compete at the 1963 Merdeka Tournament. Abdul Ghani was selected as the first captain of Malaysia national team. Abdul Ghani officially retired from international football after the Merdeka Cup in 1966.[24]
Coaching career
After his retirement, he was sent to Japan by the Football Association of Malaysia to attend a FIFA Coaching School being the first ever Malaysian to have an official training from FIFA. He finally received his FIFA coaching license in 1969.[25] He was appointed to be the coach the national team in 1969. Abdul Ghani managed the national team on an on-off basis starting from 1969 Merdeka Tournament. His last involvement with the national is at the 1976 Olympic Games qualification in Jakarta.[26]
After only coaching the national team, he later coached his favourite team, Selangor in 1970. In 1971, he became the first player and coach to win the Malaysia Cup after being the team coach and also playing in the final and the semi-finals.[27] He again led Selangor Malaysia's Cup victory over Perak 3–0 in 1972.[28] He then resigned as coach in 1973 because his main concentration was on business instead of coaching.
10 years later, Abdul Ghani returned as coach for Selangor after replacing Chow Kwai Lam in 1983. But his coaching career with Selangor only lasted three seasons after being sacked after failing to help the team win the Malaysia Cup in 1985 despite the successful season leading Selangor to win the 1984 Malaysia Cup after a 3–1 victory over Pahang.[29] After Abdul Ghani left as coach, he returned doing business.
In 2004, he returned to Selangor but this time as a Coaching Adviser for the Football Association of Selangor (FAS). He later resigned from the Football Association of Selangor and agreed moved to his birthplace and became a Coaching Adviser for Negeri Sembilan. He resigned later around 2007 after 2006–07 Season ended.[30]
Death
He died on 28 September 2012, due to the complications after undergoing coronary bypass surgery at National Heart Institute, in Kuala Lumpur. He left behind wife Puan Sri Tengku Aishah Tengku Ibrahim, two sons and two daughters.[31]
Career statistics
- Scores and results list Malaya's and Malaysia's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Abdul Ghani goal.
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Malaya goals | ||||||
| 1 | 17 March 1956 | Kuala Lumpur, Malaya |  Cambodia | 9–2 | 1956 AFC Asian Cup qualification | |
| 2 | ||||||
| 3 | ||||||
| 4 | ||||||
| 5 | ||||||
| 6 | ||||||
| 7 | ||||||
| 8 | 29 April 1956 | Phnom Penh, Cambodia | Cambodia | 2–3 | 1956 AFC Asian Cup qualification | |
| 9 | ||||||
| 10 | 24 May 1956 | Kuala Lumpur, Malaya |  South Vietnam | 3–3 | 1956 AFC Asian Cup qualification | |
| 11 | ||||||
| 12 | 12 May 1957 | Jalan Besar, Singapore |  Singapore | 1–1 | Friendly | |
| 13 | 1 September 1957 | Kuala Lumpur, Malaya |  Burma | 5–2 | 1957 Merdeka Tournament | |
| 14 | 4 September 1957 | Kuala Lumpur, Malaya |  Hong Kong | 3–3 | 1957 Merdeka Tournament | |
| 15 | ||||||
| 16 | 7 September 1957 | Kuala Lumpur, Malaya |  Indonesia | 2–4 | 1957 Merdeka Tournament | |
| 17 | ||||||
| 18 | 1 March 1958 | Kuala Lumpur, Malaya | Singapore | 5–2 | Friendly | |
| 19 | ||||||
| 20 | 3 May 1958 | Jalan Besar, Singapore | Singapore | 3–3 | Friendly | |
| 21 | ||||||
| 22 | 4 May 1958 | Jalan Besar, Singapore | Singapore | 3–0 | Friendly | |
| 23 | ||||||
| 24 | 14 May 1958 | Kuala Lumpur, Malaya |  Pakistan | 4–2 | Friendly | |
| 25 | ||||||
| 26 | 28 December 1958 | Kuala Lumpur, Malaya |  Japan | 6–2 | Friendly | |
| 27 | ||||||
| 28 | ||||||
| 29 | 4 January 1959 | George Town, Malaya | Japan | 1–3 | Friendly | |
| 30 | 22 January 1959 | Rangoon, Burma | Burma | 4–2 | Friendly | |
| 31 | ||||||
| 32 | 25 January 1959 | Rangoon, Burma | Burma | 2–3 | Friendly | |
| 33 | 11 May 1959 | Jalan Besar, Singapore | Singapore | 2–10 | 1960 AFC Asian Cup qualification | |
| 34 | 2 September 1959 | Kuala Lumpur, Malaya | South Vietnam | 4–3 | 1959 Merdeka Tournament | |
| 35 | 14 December 1959 | Bangkok, Thailand |  Thailand | 1–3 | 1959 SEAP Games | |
| 36 | 5 August 1960 | Kuala Lumpur, Malaya | Japan | 3–0 | 1960 Merdeka Tournament | |
| 37 | ||||||
| 38 | 7 August 1960 | Kuala Lumpur, Malaya | Thailand | 8–2 | 1960 Merdeka Tournament | |
| 39 | ||||||
| 40 | ||||||
| 41 | 28 May 1961 | Tokyo, Japan | Japan | 2–3 | Friendly | |
| 42 | ||||||
| 43 | 2 August 1961 | Kuala Lumpur, Malaya | Japan | 3–2 | 1961 Merdeka Tournament | |
| 44 | 5 August 1961 | Kuala Lumpur, Malaya | South Vietnam | 3–1 | 1961 Merdeka Tournament | |
| 45 | 9 August 1961 | Kuala Lumpur, Malaya |  India | 1–2 | 1961 Merdeka Tournament | |
| 46 | 13 August 1961 | Kuala Lumpur, Malaya | Indonesia | 1–2 | 1961 Merdeka Tournament | |
| 47 | 12 December 1961 | Rangoon, Burma | Cambodia | 4–0 | 1961 SEAP Games | |
| 48 | ||||||
| 49 | 13 December 1961 | Rangoon, Burma | Burma | 2–1 | 1961 SEAP Games | |
| 50 | 15 December 1961 | Rangoon, Burma | Thailand | 2–2 | 1961 SEAP Games | |
| 51 | 16 December 1961 | Rangoon, Burma | Burma | 2–0 | 1961 SEAP Games | |
| 52 | 26 August 1962 | Jakarta, Indonesia |  Philippines | 15–1 | 1962 Asian Games | |
| 53 | ||||||
| 54 | ||||||
| 55 | 28 August 1962 | Jakarta, Indonesia | Indonesia | 3–2 | 1962 Asian Games | |
| 56 | 3 September 1962 | Jakarta, Indonesia | South Vietnam | 4–1 | 1962 Asian Games | |
| 57 | 8 September 1962 | Kuala Lumpur, Malaya | Japan | 2–2 | 1962 Merdeka Tournament | |
| 58 | 13 Septebemr 1962 | Kuala Lumpur, Malaya | Burma | 3–2 | 1962 Merdeka Tournament | |
| Malaysia goals | ||||||
| 1 | 8 August 1963 | Kuala Lumpur, Malaya | Japan | 3–4 | 1963 Merdeka Tournament | |
| 2 | ||||||
| 3 | 7 December 1963 | Saigon, South Vietnam | South Vietnam | 3–5 | 1964 AFC Asian Cup qualification | |
Honours
As player
- Winners(7): 1956, 1959, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1966, 1968
- Winners(6): 1953, 1954, 1960, 1962, 1961, 1962
- Runners-up: 1967
- Winners(3): 1958, 1959, 1960
- Gold Medal: 1961
- Bronze Medal: 1962
Coach
- Winners(3): 1971, 1972, 1984
- Malaysia
- Winners(1): 1972
- Winners(1): 1973
- Malaysia B
- Winners(1): 1971
Individual
Records
- Malaya all-time top scorer: 58 goals[36][37]
- The first player from outside Europe and the first player from Asia to reach 50 goals for men's national teams: 15 December 1961[1]
- The fifth player to reach 50 goals for men's national teams after Imre Schlosser(1917), Poul Nielsen(1925), Ferenc Puskás(1952) and Sándor Kocsis(1954): 1961[38]
- The longest international scoring series: 11 Matches in 1961-1962, equalled by Erling Haaland in 2024-2025 ongoing [39][40]
- One of the five players who had averages more than one goal per match in international and having scored more than 50 goals after Sandor Kocsis with 75 goals in 68 matches (1.1), Gerd Müller with 68 goals in 62 matches (1.1), Erling Haaland with 55 goals in 48 matches (1.15) and Poul Nielsen with 52 goals in 38 matches (1.37): 58 goals in 57 matches (1.02)[41]
- One of the three players who had scored four goals in a Malaysia Cup final after Lee Ah Loke(1952) and N. Thanabalan(1968): 1963[42]
Orders
Malaysia
Member of the Order of the Defender of the Realm (AMN) (1967)
Commander of the Order of Meritorious Service (PJN) – Datuk (2009)
Commander of the Order of Loyalty to the Crown of Malaysia (PSM) – Tan Sri (2012)[43]
Pahang
Knight Companion of the Order of the Crown of Pahang (DIMP) – Dato' (2000)
Selangor
Knight Companion of the Order of Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Shah (DSSA) – Dato' (2001)[44]
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