IT was raining heavily, a nearby mosque was broadcasting the Maghrib prayer, usually, this would pass as a normal gloomy Tuesday in Bangsar.

But yesterday, nothing was going to stop Malaysians from communing for last night’s Malaysia-Thailand football final. Not the flag controversy of the Sea Games, not the lack of open ticket counters at Shah Alam and certainly not the weather.

The crowd at a Mamak store in Bangsar was electric. All races could be seen sitting together under one roof cheering for Malaysia, complete with food, teh tarik and some were even smoking Shisha, a tobacco pipe which originated from India.

Siva Vijaya, 25 came all the way from Perak, arriving at 6.00pm, just to root for the Malaysian team. He was one of many who were pushed around at the ticket counters in Shah Alam Stadium.

“I was disappointed that people were cutting queues when they were buying tickets, I came as early as 7.00am just to buy them.

“However, this time I’m prepared, I came as early as 6.00pm to the mamak here with my friends to get ready,” he said.

Siva was with 15 friends, rooting for the Malaysian team as the game started, he felt that past errors of the Sea Games should be viewed as “small mistakes” and it is best for Malaysians to “move on”.

“It is a give and take situation. It is a big event, there are bound to be mistakes, Malaysians, Thais should work together and maintain the peace,” he said.

Kharthik Kovalan, 25, one of Siva’s friends, said he came to root for his favourite striker, N. Thanabalan.

“There are more of my friends coming, I hope Malaysia would win 1-0. It is true that the Malaysian team (in general) can be inconsistent in winning at times, but I think it is important for all Malaysians to root for their team,” he said.

All was well for the mamak crowd at Bangsar when it happened. Thailand scored a goal in the first half. The crowd “Booed”. For Salihin Mesmun, 34, and his childhood friend Ammar Johari, 29 all hope wasn’t lost.

“I hope Malaysians can be patient, we can do this, my friend and I came here straight after work just to support our team,” said Salihin.

Salihin said that he hoped that people would “keep calm and cheer on” and not cause chaos like the rowdy crowds at the ticket counter in Shah Alam Stadium if the Malaysian team were to lose.

“I hope Malaysians, everyone would not fight, not cause a rukus as so on, I would stay on until 2.00am if needed to support the team,” he said.

Ammar, still wearing his work shirt, said he and Salihin were avid football fans, and came to cheer for the Malaysian midfielder, Azam Azih.

“All hope is not lost, we can still do this… we tried to get tickets for the game but it was sold out.

“Come rain or shine, we will come together as Malaysians to support our team,” he said.

It was at 10.30pm that Malaysia’s fate was sealed, Thailand managed to maintain its lead. However, for the mamak crowd at Kepong, things were still heating up.

Lee Tze Qi, 28 who came with her group of friends, were discussing what went wrong.

“If it wasn’t raining, we would have had a chance to win, how can we lose after all that training?”

“Maybe it was the rain that made the goalkeeper not see properly, I don’t know, I was so sure with Malaysia getting golds in the Sea Games that football was a sure win,” she said.

Her friend Lim Jia Wen, 25, started crying when the bell struck ending the match with a 1-0 Thailand win and said it was just bad luck.

“It is ok, Malaysia may still have a chance in other games, but I was really cheering for our football team,” Lim said in tears.

In yesterday’s final, Malaysia missed out on gold in football after losing to Thailand 1-0.

As of yesterday, the Thai team stood undefeated in their last 19 matches whereas Malaysia’s record was 7 matches. Malaysia had scored at least one goal in their last 7 matches and Thailand in their last 15 matches. – August 30, 2017.