ALOR STAR: This Saturday, Kedah's legendary football coach Azraai Khor Abdullah was supposed to attend the final selection for the first batch of the Madad Tahfiz Soccer Academy.
Azraai, 72, who was an instrumental figure behind Kedah's senior squad's unprecedented success nearly two decades ago, was all fired up to train young football talents who memorise the Quran.
However, he passed away today, believed to have suffered from a stroke.
Murthada Dakwah Centre's managing director Ustaz Mohammad Yaakub Yusra Mohd Yusuf said it was Azraai's final wish to see the academy succeed.
"During our meetings, he repeatedly told us that it is his dying wish to see Kedah become the first state to produce the first Tahfiz football team.
"He had said over time that this project could be the good deed he leaves behind after his passing.
"Azraai had been working very hard to realize the dream upon getting involved in the Madad Tahfiz Soccer Academy since last year," he said when met at the Taman Uda Muslim Cemetery after attending Azraai's funeral ceremony this evening.
Yaakub said Azraai had never missed attending their meetings and was the most committed person in the project without asking for any payment.
He added that the last time he met Azraai was on Jan 20, during the selection process for the academy attended by over 2,000 young talents.
"He wished to train young football talents who memorize the Quran. He stayed up until the evening at the field to oversee the selection process.
"I told him that we don't have money to pay for his fees, but he said it didn't matter; he said let's just focus on the program," he said.
Yaakub said Azraai was committed to the project until the end and even expressed his worry for not being able to attend the final selection process this Saturday.
"About 10am today he contacted me, but I was unable to answer the call as I was attending a programme.
"At 10:43am, I received his voice message recording via the WhatsApp mobile application to tell me he was unwell and worried about our programme this Saturday.
"I told him not to worry about it and focus on his health first. He was still dedicated to the cause despite being seriously ill," he said.
To honor Azraai's final wish, Yaakub pledged to make sure the Madad Tahfiz Soccer Academy is a success.
Azraai was rushed to the Kedah Medical Centre after he passed out at his home in Alor Semadom about 11am today. He had been unwell for the past four days.
He is survived by wife Rohani Ibrahim, 64, three children Mohd Firdaus, 32, Siti Fairuz, 31, and Nur Azryena, 21.
Siti Fairuz said her family wished that the Murthada Dakwah Centre would carry on with her late father's final wish for the Tahfiz football team to be realised.
"He really cared for the programme; we hope it will be a success in honor of his hard work," she said.
Meanwhile, Mohd Firdaus said Azraai, the siblings would hold on to his advice to always work hard, be humble, and always do good deeds for others.