KUALA LUMPUR: Football legend Datuk Namat Abdullah died in Taiping, Perak, today after battling cancer. He was 74.
Namat, who was once hailed as the best player in Asia in the 1970s, had been suffering from colon cancer.
In June, Namat was visited by 10 of his former national teammates, including Datuk Soh Chin Aun and Datuk Abdah Alif.
The Butterworth-born Namat helped the country made its mark at the Southeast Asia Games, 1974 Tehran Asian Games (Malaysia won the bronze) and the 1972 Munich Olympic.
Namat also inspired Malaysia to the Thailand King's Cup title in 1972, the Merdeka Cup crown in 1973 and Aga Khan Gold Cup triumph in Bangladesh in 1976.
Namat starred for Penang between 1967 and 1977, helping the state win the 1974 Malaysia Cup title and the King's Gold Cup.
Known for his hard pressing game, Namat was also famous for his powerful strikes as he began his career as a striker before turning into a defender.
With all these qualities, Namat was a popular choice to be captain of the national team and he also won many awards from 1971 to 1973.