KUALA LUMPUR − “We can do it, don’t be afraid of this game, we can take on this team,” − those were the usual words of encouragement the late Serbegeth Singh used to say to his teammates in the dressing room before trooping out for matches.
For former national team chief coach Dollah Salleh, those pep-talk memories came rushing back as soon as he received the news of the death of Serbegeth − better known as Shebby − last night.
Dollah, who played with Shebby when representing Johor in 1982 and 1983, said he has lost a friend with a firm character akin to national football legend Datuk Soh Chin Aun.
“I was indeed close to him when playing in Johor before... As my team captain, Shebby can be very vocal through the instructions and advice he gives to his teammates while playing a match,” he said when contacted by Bernama today.
Apart from football, Dollah said the late Shebby often advised him to forge close family ties as he was really close to his family.
“He was very good with friends, including my wife − everyone was comfortable with him,” he added.
The former Sri Pahang FC coach also shared interesting stories about Shebby, who never missed out on reading the popular football magazine from England “Shoot!” during their acquaintanceship.
As such, he said, it was no surprise that the former national defensive pillar had vast knowledge of the game and was very technical and detailed when appearing on football programmes.
Meanwhile, another of his teammate Mohamed Razip Ismail, who together with Shebby was part of the Kuala Lumpur squad that grabbed a Malaysia Cup hattrick from 1987 to 1989, regarded the latter as a tough person on the field but very amiable off it.
The 59-year-old former defender said that he was very fortunate to have been able to play with Shebby, whom he regarded as a highly dedicated player and very disciplined during training sessions.
Razip, who had coached the Kuala Lumpur and Perlis teams, was also impressed with Shebby’s leadership qualities, especially in motivating young players to improve their performances during a game.
The Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) Youth unit chief was also indebted to Shebby for being an important character in helping him to venture into the world of sports commentating not long ago.
Meanwhile, national assistant coach, S. Balachandran, who had played alongside Shebby for Kuala Lumpur told Bernama that he was indeed a golden-hearted man, who dedicated his life to football.
Negeri Sembilan FC head coach K. Devan described the news as heartbreaking and that the country’s football had lost a great figure.
Former national goalkeeper Hassan Miksam, who had also played alongside Shebby, said the latter was a serious player on the field, who motivated the rest of the team on the pitch.
Lahat Dadok Sulik, 59, another close friend of Shebby, who played for the national team and Johor in the late 80s, said he would always miss the latter.
“His comments were ‘stinging’ and straightforward, but it was done for a good reason,” he said.
The late Shebby − during his heydays − played for the national team from 1982 to 1991, including the Asian Games in 1982, 1986 and 1990 and also helped the country win the gold medal at the 1989 SEA Games in Kuala Lumpur.
In addition, he also played with the Pahang team in the 90s and had also donned the Negeri Sembilan and Perak jerseys.
After retiring as a player, Shebby created a name for himself as a television personality from 1997 for Astro SuperSport, FoxSports and ESPN Asia apart from serving as Global Adviser at Blackburn Rovers in 2012 and as technical adviser at Johor Darul Ta’zim (JDT).
Shebby, 61, passed away yesterday evening whilst cycling at Sunway in Iskandar Puteri, Johor. – Bernama, January 13, 2022
