KUALA LUMPUR – The Malaysian footballing fraternity has suffered another loss with the death of Ismail Zakaria, an experienced football coach who not only the national beach football squad but also several local clubs, including Sime Darby, Kuala Lumpur, Kuantan FA and UiTM FC.
According to a Facebook post by the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM), Ismail, 60, died at a private hospital in Cheras at noon today due to a heart attack.
Sabah FC head coach Datuk Ong Kim Swee said Ismail was a coach known for his high expertise in technical aspects and his qualifications not only led to the organising of many B and C coaching license courses in the country, but also at junior level championships.
“We always met at FAM, and when we talked about football, his deep knowledge, especially in terms of football culture, was obvious to all of us. So he not only had the qualifications but knew the ins and outs of football culture.
“He wasn’t a man of many words but when we presented something, there’s always an argument where it mattered and that showed his stand as a coach,” he told Bernama today.
Meanwhile, Kuching City FC coach Irfan Bakti Abu Salim, expressed his shock at Ismail’s death and said that he was never viewed as a ‘mere’ coach due to his vast knowledge.
“I’m saddened because he has been taking care of his ill wife but he ended up going first. He’s the sort of friend who is not shy at sharing what he knows and would answer all questions, it’s a great loss,” he said, adding that Ismail was a good coach who proved his worth through Sime Darby FC’s historic 2012 FA Cup run, where they went all the way to the finals, but narrowly lost to Kelantan 0-1 at the National Stadium in Bukit Jalil.
Besides this achievement, Ismail also led Sime Darby to the 2010 FAM League championship and they were runners-up in the 2013 Premier League. – Bernama, August 20, 2022
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