Shaharuddin Abdullah (28 August 1948 – 28 December 2023) was a Malaysian footballer. He was once one of the most feared strikers in the country, known as "Harimau Malaysia" because of his ability to score goals.Striking fear into their opponents- The Star Penang was once a feared football force. New Straits Times. Archived from the original on 28 May 2012. Retrieved 27 January 2022. He once scored 15 goals for Malaysia in the Merdeka Cup which stood as a record for a very long time. His father, Abdullah Mohammad, was a goalkeeper for Penang in the 1950s. He was a part of the Malaysian squad at the 1972 Summer Olympics.Malaysia - Munich 1972 - FIFA.com
Career Abdullah started to play football when he was nine years old. He used the Marin Sg. Gelugor field near his house to learn football skills. He helped his school, Sekolah Kebangsaan Sungai Gelugor, to win the district and inter-school championships.
In 1964 when he was 16 years old, he was selected to play for the Penang Burnley Cup team along with his brother, Namat Abdullah, Ali Bakar, Mohammed Bakar, Khalil Hashim, Cha Peng Chiang, Yap Kim Kok and N Baskaran.
Abdullah played for Malaysia in the 1972 Munich Olympics. Shaharuddin played in all three group games and scored in the 3–0 win against the United States.XX. Olympiad Munich 1972 Football Tournament - RSSSFOlympic Football Tournament Munich 1972 Germany FR - Malaysia at FIFA.comOlympic Football Tournament Munich 1972 Malaysia - USA at FIFA.comOlympic Football Tournament Munich 1972 Morocco - Malaysia at FIFA.com Overall he made 70 appearances and scored 39 international goals for Malaysia.Malaysia - Record International Players - RSSSF
In 2004, he was inducted in Olympic Council of Malaysia's Hall of Fame for 1972 Summer Olympics football team.
Personal life Namat Abdullah, his brother also played for Penang and together with his uncle, Aziz Ahmad. Shaharuddin's son, Shafiq Shaharudin, is also a professional footballer.
Shaharuddin Abdullah died on 28 December 2023, at the age of 75.Former Harimau Malaya player Shaharuddin Abdullah passes away
Career statistics International Scores and results list Malaysia's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Abdullah goal. + List of international goals scored by Shaharuddin AbdullahNo.DateVenueOpponentScoreResultCompetition1Perak Stadium, Ipoh, Malaysia—4-01968 Merdeka Tournament2Merdeka Stadium, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia—3-01968 Merdeka Tournament 3Merdeka Stadium, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia 1-01-01969 Merdeka Tournament4Merdeka Stadium, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia —1-31969 Merdeka Tournament 5Merdeka Stadium, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia —3-11969 Merdeka Tournament 6—7Merdeka Stadium, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia —2-31969 Merdeka Tournament 8Bangkok, Thailand—2-21969 King's Cup9Bogyoke Aung San Stadium, Yangon, Myanmar— 2-11969 SEAP Games10Bogyoke Aung San Stadium, Yangon, Myanmar —2-11969 SEAP Games 11Merdeka Stadium, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia—3-11970 Merdeka Tournament12—13Bangkok, Thailand1-01-11970 King's Cup14Bangkok, Thailand1-03-11970 King's Cup 152-016—17Bangkok, Thailand3-08-01972 AFC Asian Cup qualification185-0198-020Bangkok, Thailand—2-11972 AFC Asian Cup qualification 21—22Bangkok, Thailand —2-21971 King's Cup23Merdeka Stadium, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia —5-01971 SEAP Games24Merdeka Stadium, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia — 4-21971 SEAP Games 25— 26Merdeka Stadium, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia 1-23-21971 SEAP Games 272-2283-229Merdeka Stadium, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia 1-11-21971 SEAP Games 30Merdeka Stadium, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia 2-04-11972 Merdeka Tournament313-0324-033Perak Stadium, Ipoh, Malaysia —6-11972 Merdeka Tournament 34—35Merdeka Stadium, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia 2-13-11972 Merdeka Tournament363-137ESV-Stadion, Ingolstadt, Germany—3-01972 Summer Olympics38Dongdaemun Stadium, Seoul, South Korea1-01-31972 President's Cup39Dongdaemun Stadium, Seoul, South Korea 1-02-01974 FIFA World Cup qualification
Honours Penang Burnley Cup: 1964–65, 1966 Malaysia Kings Gold Cup: 1966, 1968, 1969 Malaysia Cup: 1974
Penjara Malaysia FAM Cup: 1970, 1971, 1973
Malaysia Bronze medal Asian Games: 1974 Kings Cup: 1972 Merdeka Tournament: 1968, 1973, 1974
References
External links Profile at Sports Council, Prison Department of Malaysia