Malek Awab

{{Short description|Singaporean footballer}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2016}}

{{BLP sources|date=February 2009}}

{{Malay name|Malek|Awab}}

{{Infobox football biography

| name = Malek Awab

| image =

| caption =

| fullname = Malek bin Awab

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1961|01|11|df=y}}[https://web.archive.org/web/20120924035159/http://www.fifa.com/worldfootball/statisticsandrecords/players/player=45956/index.html FIFA.com]

| birth_place = Singapore

| death_date =

| height = {{height|meter=1.66}}

| position = Midfielder

| years1 = 1980–1984

| clubs1 = Singapore Lions

| caps1 = 109

| goals1 = 34

| years2 = 1984–1988

| clubs2 = Kuala Lumpur FA

| caps2 = 82

| goals2 = 9

| clubs3 = PDRM FA

| years3 = 1999–1989

| years4 = 1990–1994

| clubs4 = Singapore Lions

| caps4 = 98

| goals4 = 15

| clubs5 = Woodlands Wellington FC

| years5 = 1998–????

| nationalyears1 = 1980–1996

| nationalteam1 = Singapore

| nationalcaps1 = 121{{cite web| url=http://www.fas.org.sg/news/fas-launches-fas-captains-advisory-panel| title=FAS launches FAS Captains' Advisory Panel| publisher=FAS| access-date=21 March 2014| url-status=dead| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171008231515/http://www.fas.org.sg/news/fas-launches-fas-captains-advisory-panel| archive-date=8 October 2017| df=dmy-all}}

| nationalgoals1 =

}}

Malek bin Awab is a Singaporean former footballer who played as a midfielder in the 1980s and 1990s. Malek Awab also once held the record for the most number of international caps for his country, Singapore (121 caps).

Football career

= Club =

Malek started his football career with Farrer Park United as a right winger.{{Cite news |date=9 March 1998 |title=Malek gets contract |pages=44 |work=The New Paper |url=https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/digitised/article/newpaper19980309-1.2.55.1 |access-date=4 December 2023 |via=NewspaperSG}}

Malek played for the Kuala Lumpur FA side that won the Malaysia Cup in 1988.{{cite web|author1=King, Ian|author2=Stokkermans, Karl|name-list-style=amp|date=2002-05-26|title=Malaysia 1988|url=https://www.rsssf.org/tablesm/malay88.html|access-date=2009-07-21|archive-date=11 October 2022|website=RSSSF|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221011094628/https://www.rsssf.org/tablesm/malay88.html|url-status=live}} After playing for Kuala Lumpur FA, Malek joined PDRM FA for a year.{{Cite news |last=Low |first=Jeffrey |date=22 October 1996 |title=Jeffrey Low: Thanks a million, legends |pages=36 |work=The New Paper |url=https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/digitised/article/newpaper19961022-1.2.50.6 |access-date=4 December 2023 |via=NewspaperSG}}

In 1998, Malek joined Woodlands Wellington FC as a sweeper.

= International =

Malek was spotted by national coach Jita Singh and brought on to the national team on 13 October 1980.{{Cite web |title=Catching Up With: Malek Awab {{!}} Goal.com |url=https://www.goal.com/en-sg/news/3883/features/2013/09/22/4277796/catching-up-with-malek-awab |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130926205704/https://www.goal.com/en-sg/news/3883/features/2013/09/22/4277796/catching-up-with-malek-awab |archive-date=26 September 2013 |access-date=2021-09-29 |website=Goal.com}}

Malek played in his first international game at King's Cup, Bangkok, 1980.

Representing the Lions in midfield, Malek was often seen running tirelessly for 90 minutes of the game, closing down on opposition players and making cutting runs into the opponents half. Together with Fandi Ahmad, Abbas Saad and V. Sundramoorthy, they formed the backbone of the Singapore team that won the Malaysia Cup in 1994.

Malek played his last international match during the 1996 Tiger Cup.{{cite news |author=Shirlynn Ho-Pereira |date=1 March 1998 |title=Three last hurrahs |newspaper=The Sunday Times |url=http://ourstory.asia1.com.sg/dream/life/ref/bye3.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080404062800/http://ourstory.asia1.com.sg/dream/life/ref/bye3.html |archive-date=4 April 2008 |df=dmy-all}}

= Coaching =

After retirement from professional football, Malek coaches children at the Kaki Bukit Sports Club.

Career

Outside of football, Malek is a sales manager for Pacific Sports Private Limited since 1980s.

Personal life

Malek is married to seamstress Sharifah Nazihah.{{Cite web |last=migration |date=2014-06-09 |title=Makan sambil bersantai dengan bekas pemain nasional, Berita - BeritaHarian.sg |url=https://www.beritaharian.sg/sukan/makan-sambil-bersantai-dengan-bekas-pemain-nasional |access-date=2022-10-11 |website=www.beritaharian.sg |language=en |archive-date=18 January 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220118195411/https://www.beritaharian.sg/sukan/makan-sambil-bersantai-dengan-bekas-pemain-nasional |url-status=live }}

Honours

Singapore Lions

See also

References

{{Reflist}}