Long Live the Shah

By: Bob | January 15th, 2007

Laos football manager Saythong (ok, I’ll say it, “thong”) Syphasay was not too upbeat coming into Monday’s clash with Singapore in the ASEAN football championships. His collection of mainly university students had been thrashed by Indonesia on Saturday and he had a sinking suspicion that things would get worse against the home team. “We lost 3-1 to Indonesia on Saturday,” the pessimist told Singapore’s Straits Times. “Singapore will score more goals … they are a better side, have bigger-sized players and home-ground advantage.”

Sypahasay turned out to be a prophet as his team was humiliated by Singapore 11-0. Laos trailed by a respectable three goals at the intermission but then they turned into American Samoa by allowing eight second half goals, five of which were scored by Singapore striker Noh Alam Shah, who finished with seven goals in the game.

Is there a term for scoring a double hattrick or should we henceforth call it a “Shah”?

My favorite description from the game reports:

Having completed the scoring with an emphatic scissors kick in stoppage time, Alam Shah admitted that he was almost willing the ball not to go in by the end.

‘I was almost hoping that the ball wouldn’t go in because I felt sorry for the Laos players. But today was just my day and the ball flew in.’

You have to love a player who tries for an emphatic scissors kick with his team up 10-0, while also hoping that he wouldn’t actually score. Perhaps it is par for the course for a player who is described on the Football Association of Singapore’s official site thusly:

Bullish and enthusiastic, Alam Shah is perhaps best remembered for his dramatic late equaliser against Kuwait in a World Cup qualifier in 2001.

With his swashbuckling style and never-say-die commitment upfront, he is a firm favourite with the fans despite a volatile temper that has gotten the better of him numerous times in the past.

The Tampines Rovers striker has worked hard to keep his temper in check though, and has put a past full of foibles behind him as well, winning an S.League title with the Stags in 2004.

Good thing his volatile temper didn’t get the best of him today. His team would have only won 4-0.

UPDATE: Here’s the video goodies