10 facts you may not know about Sarawak FA
May 23, 2019
Sarawak FA is a team rich in history and while it does seem that the team does forget about their tradition every now and then, facts can’t be changed.
With that said, here are 10 facts that are interesting about the Sarawak FA.
- The battle cry ‘Ngap Sayot’ used by the Sarawak FA was coined by former Sarawak FA head coach Awang Mahyan during a snooker session with his friends. Ngap Sayot means other opponents are easy prey to the Sarawak team.
- Before using the crocodile as its official mascot, a black cat used to be the official mascot of the team.
- There were rumors in the 80’s that Sarawak FA used black magic to win matches at home. This was due to the invincibility of the team when playing at their home ground, Stadium Negeri. Today however, this incredible track record remains a distant memory.
- In 1989, Sarawak FA withdrew from the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) after decisions during a football match strained the Sarawak-Malaysia relations.
- The concept of Manager/Head Coach was first introduced in Malaysia football by Sarawak FA when they appointed Alan Vest to the dual job.
- Sarawak import player David Evans is the tallest player that ever played in the Liga Malaysia and he stands at 1.97m tall.
- Usually champions of any football league would be crowned and presented with the league trophy at the end of a football match, with the match being the last match needed to confirm their championship status. Sarawak FA however were presented the 1997 Liga Perdana trophy at Subang International Airport, with the trophy still wrapped in a box. As a matter of fact, Sarawak only had a cut-out of the trophy at their celebratory ceremony when they were crowned champions of the league.
- Sarawak FA was the first team from Malaysia to ever qualify for the quarter finals of the Asian Cup Winners’ Cup. The feat happened in 1999.
- Clinching the Liga Premier title in 2013 ended Sarawak FA’s 13 years of wait for a silverware. Not only did they earn automatic promotion to the Liga Super, they also went undefeated for not less 22 matches.
- Sabah born Bobby Gonzales is Sarawak’s top non-Sarawakian goal scorer of all time, defeating even the legendary John Hunter and other foreign players. Bobby whom is still actively playing today has scored a whopping 59 goals for Sarawak FA, making him a living legend.
Also Read:
Why is Sabah FA succeeding this season?
Why is JDT unstoppable in the Liga Malaysia
Why is John Hunter important to Sarawak football?
This article is brought to us by our Sports Writers Club resident columnist – Cyril Dason.
