THE Thursday night unpleasant tragedy at Bung Karno Stadium in Indonesia that detrimentally hit our Malaysian football fans, mostly fanatics called Ultras Malaya, was truly unacceptable.

It was a qualifying match for a mammoth world football tournament named World Cup, but sadly, we were served with low-class behavioural display by some of the home fans who suddenly turned anger for no reasons.

What actually made the Indonesian fans so irate about the presence of the Malaysian fans at the stadium?

Were they actually unsatisfied with the Harimau Malaya's victory? Or had they felt disrupted by the harmonious yet loud chants played by the Ultras?

If they felt that way, they need to mend the way they think about football.

Football is obviously not a sport that assures players or teams with consistent victories. As we mutually know, football has a winner and also a loser.

But being defeated in football must not be treated negatively or responded with uncivilised manners by the fans.

To me, football is all about celebrating two-side differences on the pitch. And from the differences, who uses them to earn a victory.

If a team faces a defeat, the team's supporters should not react like a gangsta. Being physically harsh by throwing objects, including grossly-stuffed bottles, to opponent's attendees or fans won't change the result. It will remain and no angers and bloods could be exchanged with regaining the victory.

Whatever bad thing that happened during the dramatic yet entertaining match between our Harimau Malaya and Indonesia must not be retaliated in their second-leg match that will soon be held in the Bukit Jalil National Stadium.

We, the loyal Harimau Malaya fans, must show to the rest of the world that revenges and any form of vengeance have never been written in the dictionary of Malaysian football.

Instead, we should welcome each of the Indonesian fans happily with a spirit of ASEAN neighbours without even a slight remembrance of the bitter incident.

Any act of uncivilisation must no longer be ruled in football. Football is about uniting us, not dividing us.

Lastly, to the National Team of Harimau Malaya, we will always be with you wherever you are. We will always be an allegiant tail of the tiger!


* Amerul Azry Abdul Aziz is an independent writer who now views politics as something that can be researched.

** The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the position of Astro AWANI.