Zainal Abidin Hassan bin Ali (born 9 November 1961) is a Malaysian former footballer and the current head coach of Malaysia Super League side Penang.
Personal information | |||
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Full name | Zainal Abidin Hassan Ali | ||
Date of birth | (1961-11-09) 9 November 1961 (age 61) | ||
Place of birth | Selangor, Malaysia | ||
Position(s) | Defender . Striker | ||
Club information | |||
Current team | Penang (head coach) | ||
Senior career* | |||
Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
1980–1982 | Selangor FA | ||
1983–1984 | Pahang FA | ||
1985–1990 | Selangor FA | ||
1991–1996 | Pahang FA | ||
1997–1999 | Selangor FA | ||
National team‡ | |||
1980–1997 | Malaysia[1] | 129 | (50) |
1996 | Malaysia Futsal | ||
Teams managed | |||
2001 | Malaysia U-17 | ||
2004–2006 | Pahang (coach) | ||
2006–2008 | Pahang (manager) | ||
2009–2010 | Kuantan Port-Shahzan Muda FC (manager) | ||
2011–2013 | Pahang (manager) | ||
2013–2014 | Pahang (assistant head coach) | ||
2014–2015 | Pahang | ||
2016 | Selangor | ||
2017–2018 | Penang | ||
2019–2021 | Melaka United | ||
2022 | Penang | ||
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 11 November 2012 ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 11 November 2012 |
Zainal Abidin is well known as the best Malaysian footballer in the 80's and 90's. His football career started with Selangor FA in 1980.[2] At the age of 18 years 6 month, Zainal made his international debut in the 1980 Merdeka Tournament against Indonesia.[3] He played along with Malaysian legendary striker the late Mokhtar Dahari, R Arumugam, Soh Chin Aun and other recognised faces in Malaysian football.
In 1987, he partnered Dollah Salleh in front as they became the fierce striker for Selangor FA and Pahang FA in Malaysia Cup and also the national team in SEA Games and Merdeka Tournament. In 1996 Tiger Cup, Zainal Abidin was awarded as the MVP of the tournament. Three years later he was awarded the AFC Century Award.[4]
He also played for Malaysia national futsal team, and was in the squad that took part in the 1996 FIFA Futsal World Championship in Spain.[5]
He retired from football in 1999 and selected to coach the Malaysian youth in 2001. Well known for his tiki taka philosophy. In 2002, he selected as the assistant coach for Malaysia senior team. He later coached Pahang FA and brought them their first Malaysia Super League title. In 2006, he guided Pahang FA to win the Malaysian FA Cup.[6] After the contract with Pahang FA ended, he reunites with his former striker partner Dollah Salleh. This time they act as manager-coach combination for Kuantan Port-Shahzan Muda FC.
In 2011, he returns to Pahang FA as assistant manager, where he works again with Dollah, who were the current head coach. The partnership lasts until the end of 2013, when they helped Pahang win the 2013 Malaysia Cup; Pahang's first Malaysia Cup after 21 years. After Dollah left Pahang to coach PDRM FA and Ron Smith was appointed as the new Pahang head coach at the end of 2013, Zainal was appointed as his assistant head coach. But after Smith's contract was not renewed in March 2014, Zainal Abidin was appointed as Smith's replacement. With Pahang, he won the Malaysia Cup in 2014 and also Malaysia FA Cup in the same year.
In 2016, Zainal Abidin made his return to Selangor as head coach, replacing Mehmet Durakovic.[7] This was not without controversy, as negotiations between Zainal and Selangor was made public when Durakovic was still Selangor coach,[8] and Durakovic contract was terminated even after he won the 33rd Malaysia Cup title with Selangor in 2015.[9] Zainal however was sacked in August the same year, after poor performances by the team in the Super League and Malaysia Cup.[10]
Zainal Abidin next coached Penang FA from May 2017 until September 2018. In November 2018, he was unveiled as the new head coach of Melaka United.[11]
Zainal Abidin's father is of Kenyan descent.[12][13] His oldest brother Khalid Ali and oldest son Mohd Zaiza is also a Malaysian footballer.[14][15]
# | Date | Venue | Opponent | Result | Competition |
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1. | 13 November 1981 | Bangkok, Thailand | ![]() | 2–3 | 1981 King's Cup |
2. | 4 June 1983 | Singapore | ![]() | 1–1 | 1983 SEA Games |
3. | 5 June 1983 | Singapore | ![]() | 5–0 | |
4. | |||||
5. | 19 September 1983 | Kota Bharu, Malaysia | ![]() | 7–0 | 1983 Merdeka Tournament |
6. | |||||
7. | |||||
8. | 10 October 1983 | Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia | ![]() | 3–1 | 1984 Olympics Games qualification |
9. | |||||
10. | 16 October 1983 | Singapore | ![]() | 1–1 | |
11. | 20 October 1983 | Singapore | ![]() | 2–0 | |
12. | 28 October 1983 | Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia | ![]() | 2–0 | |
13. | 18 April 1984 | Singapore | ![]() | 2–1 | |
14. | 12 August 1984 | Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia | ![]() | 1–0 | Ovaltine Cup |
15. | 18 August 1984 | Singapore | ![]() | 1–1 | |
16. | 24 August 1984 | Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia | ![]() | 1–0 | 1984 Merdeka Tournament |
17. | 26 August 1984 | Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia | ![]() | 2–2 | |
18. | 29 August 1984 | Kota Bharu, Malaysia | ![]() | 3–1 | |
19. | |||||
20. | |||||
21. | 4 September 1984 | Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia | ![]() | 5–1 | |
22. | 11 October 1984 | Calcutta, India | ![]() | 5–0 | 1984 AFC Asian Cup qualification |
23. | |||||
24. | 14 October 1984 | Calcutta, India | ![]() | 1–2 | |
25. | 18 October 1984 | Calcutta, India | ![]() | 4–1 | |
26. | |||||
27. | 31 March 1985 | Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia | ![]() | 5–0 | 1986 FIFA World Cup qualification |
28. | |||||
29. | |||||
30. | 13 October 1985 | Singapore | ![]() | 4–0 | 1985 Merlion Cup |
31. | 10 December 1985 | Bangkok, Thailand | ![]() | 6–0 | 1985 SEA Games |
32. | |||||
33. | 14 December 1985 | Bangkok, Thailand | ![]() | 2–2 | |
34. | 24 July 1986 | Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia | ![]() | 3–0 | 1986 Merdeka Tournament |
35. | |||||
36. | 27 July 1986 | Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia | ![]() | 2–0 | |
37. | 1 August 1986 | Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia | ![]() | 2–1 | |
38. | 7 April 1988 | Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia | ![]() | 4–0 | 1988 AFC Asian Cup qualification |
39. | |||||
40. | 7 June 1989 | Singapore | ![]() | 3–0 | 1990 FIFA World Cup qualification |
41. | 28 August 1989 | Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia | ![]() | 1–0 | 1989 SEA Games |
42. | 8 August 1992 | Jakarta, Indonesia | ![]() | 1–1 | 1992 Independence Cup |
43. | 5 May 1993 | Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia | ![]() | 9–0 | 1994 FIFA World Cup qualification |
44. | 5 June 1993 | Singapore | ![]() | 3–1 | 1993 SEA Games |
45. | 11 June 1993 | Singapore | ![]() | 9–0 | |
46. | 10 December 1995 | Lamphun, Thailand | ![]() | 9–0 | 1995 SEA Games |
47. | 6 June 1996 | Shah Alam, Malaysia | ![]() | 5–2 | 1996 AFC Asian Cup qualification |
48. | |||||
49. | 8 September 1996 | Singapore | ![]() | 1–1 | 1996 AFF Championship |
50. | 31 March 1997 | Jeddah, Saudi Arabia | ![]() | 1–0 | 1998 FIFA World Cup qualification |
AFF Championship Most Valuable Players | |
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Malaysia Super League top scorers | |
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Selangor FA – Head coaches | |
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Sri Pahang FC – managers | |
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Melaka United – Head coaches | |
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