Malaysia qualified for the AFC Asian Cup Finals on merit after 42 long years, with the Harimau Malaya squad featuring in the 2007 Asian Cup Finals due to being co-hosted with Thailand, Indonesia and Vietnam.
Unfortunately, our national football team was confirmed to exit the 2023 AFC Asian Cup Finals in Qatar in the group stages after the match against Jordan and Bahrain, both ending in losses.
However, the Harimau Malaya squad put up a spectacular showing in the final match against South Korea – ranked 23rd in the world and favourites to lift the trophy – and came out with a 3-3 draw that will be remembered for years to come!
If you watched the game on TV or the big screen yesterday, the Harimau Malaya supporters at the Al Janoub Stadium at Al Wakrah, Qatar went wild when we scored all 3 goals, especially when we took the 2-1 lead and the equalising goal beyond added time.
Among the Harimau Malaya supporters at the Al Janoub Stadium, there was one Malaysian fan who stood out thanks to his emotional outbursts during the match and rather unique hairstyle. Well, as it turns out, the man actually had quite the story about how he got to Qatar to watch the national football team in the AFC Asian Cup Finals.
Going viral online, the man was identified as Derrick Gan, a die-hard Harimau Malaya fan from Melaka who made a lot of sacrifices to get to Qatar.
As shared by the JDTFC Facebook page, it was revealed that Derrick is so amped up about Malaysia qualifying for the AFC Asian Cup Finals that he sold his motorcycle before the tournament started last month.
In fact, Derrick’s Facebook post where he put his motorcycle, a Yamaha LC5s, up for sale on 28 December has now gone viral with over 3,000 reactions. In the post, Derrick asserted,
“Finding funds to go to Qatar! Malaysia Road to Asia! Passing through, I want to sell my motorcycle for my beloved country. 1st major tournament in Malaysia’s history! Is anyone willing to help me? Anything just let me know.”
The JDTFC Facebook page’s post has since garnered a lot of traction, having over 11,000 reactions and more than 430 shares as of the time of writing, with many Malaysians in awe of Derrick’s actions in the comments sections.
One commenter called what Derrick experienced in Qatar as a Harimau Malaya fan an invaluable experience. Another commenter echoed the same sentiment and said that the experience of watching the national team’s performance against South Korea is more valuable than money.
Meanwhile, another commenter hoped that Derrick could get some recognition from the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) for his unfaltering support of Harimau Malaya.
So, what do you guys think of Derrick’s story? Share your thoughts with us in the comments.
Also read: M’sian Dad & Son Cry After Harimau Malaya’s Loss in Asia Cup, Gets Consoled by Dept Sports Minister
