ALOR STAR: Kedah football legend, Azraai Khor Abdullah, had expressed his wish not to receive any posthumous honours or titles even after his passing.
His wife Rohani Ibrahim, 64, said Azraai, despite his significant contributions to the sport, had reiterated this desire to his family.
Azraai, 72, fainted while at home about noon today at his home in Alor Semadom, near here.
He was rushed to the Kedah Medical Centre but was pronounced dead while receiving emergency treatment.
Rohani said Azraai has been battling health issues for the past few days, including digestive problems and high blood pressure.
"The doctor said his blood pressure was quite high probably due to lack of sleep brought about by his illness and prescribed him some medications.
"This morning after breakfast, he took the meds but his condition deteriorated. We immediately called for the ambulance. While he was being rushed to the hospital, he seemed to have suffered a stroke," she said when met at KMC.
"After a while, the doctor told us that he has passed away," she added.
Rohani expressed gratitude for the time they shared and highlighted Azraai's pride in his Kedahan identity and enduring passion for football, which continued even after his retirement from coaching.
"We will always remember him as a good person," she said.
Azraai, or his birth name Khor Sek Leng, played for Kedah and the national team before he was appointed as the state's head coach.
Born on Oct 25, 1952, Azraai started his playing career with the state's senior squad in 1970.
He also played for the national team between 1975 and 1978, and was in the 1976 Asia Cup and 1978 Asian Games squads.
He became the head coach of Kedah's President Cup squad in 1991 at the age of 39.
In 1993, Azraai was appointed as a member of the tactical team under the then Kedah head coach, Robert Rene Alberts.
He played alongside Radhi Mat Din and Ahmad Sabri Ismail in a squad that dominated the domestic league.
He served as the head coach of the Kedah senior squad for five seasons from 2005 to 2009.
Azraai became the head coach of the national 'Harimau Muda' squad in 2010.
He was instrumental in Negri Sembilan's 2011 Malaysia Cup triumph.
Meanwhile, Azraai's remains were taken from his house to the Sultanah Bahiyah mosque for final funeral prayers and expected to be laid to rest after the Asar prayers.