Growing up in the 90s, it was easy to look for fanbase who support English Premier League clubs. Whether its Manchester United or Liverpool, Aston Villa or Derby County, its always easy to find with just a throw of a stone. Despite of its rich history, the same can’t be said about the Germany’s Bundesliga. However, all that is about to change with …

We've been away too long so it was good to be back again recording another episode. This time, we managed to track down the head coach of the Kenyan National Team, Harambee Stars. To be honest, our relationship with coach Firat goes some way back when we got connected on LinkedIn. We had the pleasure of asking him on his coaching journey, his footb…

We're back again with another collaboration with our friend, Ras from Back Passt With Ras. This time it's all about Harimau Malaya in the 1990s. On this episode, we will be looking at how did the Malaysia National Team fared in the respective SEA Games in the 1990s, focus on the World Cup qualifier and of course that magical run in the inaugural AF…

In the spirit of Merdeka & Togetherness, we are collaborating with our friend Ras from Back Passt With Ras on this special episode where we look back in the Malaysian football league in the 90s. On this episode, we will be focusing on the domestic football scene in Malaysian back in the 90s; starting from Johor FA's double triumph until Brunei's su…

I'm sure most football fans are well aware of South American clubs named after others places from around the world. From Barcelona SC in Ecuador to Argentina's Arsenal to Everton based on Chile; they all have a fascinating story to tell. However club that is named after Malaysia? Well that is something else. A few weeks back, a tweet from @hafeizh2…

Just a laidback episode as Sivan and Bala were joined by our extended family member, Ras from the Back Passt With Ras. We talked about the World Cup, the feelings that goes through as the day approaches. We also touched upon on what does the Greatest Show on earth means to us as fan of the game. Is the criticism towards Qatar as host of the competi…

Paulo Josue, the Brazilian captain of KL City is back on our podcast. Since the last time we spoke to him, KL City went on to lift the Malaysia Cup and are now riding high after defeating PSM Makassar. Hence why we just had to invite him again on our podcast. As always, from our conversation, he is one player that is never about himself but rather …

It's been a long time since we had a podcast episode as we've been pretty busy with our personal commitment, nevertheless we apologize for keeping you all waiting all this while. Hence after a long hiatus, its good to be back again! On this episode, we had the pleasure of speaking to the CEO of Malaysian Football League (MFL) himself, Mr. Stuart Ra…

The focus on football is often always on the top flight and professional aspect of the game. However, what is often forgotten, is the other end of the pyramid; the social, recreational and amateur landscape of football. As we all know, football is just a game, and in the words of coach Gordon Bombay of the Mighty Ducks, games should always be fun. …

In the recent AFF Suzuki Cup, not only Thailand have regain their place as the Kings of South East Asia after winning the tournament, they have also played some of the most scintillating brand of football we have seen in this region. This happened after the War Elephant have been enduring a torrid 2021 in which they didn't win any of their remainin…

Firstly a Happy New Year 2022 and welcome back to another brand new show. In our first episode of the year, we would like to bring back a former guest of ours, book author and football writer, Karan Tejwani. You may remember him from episode 19 when we talked to him on his first book, Wings of Change by Karan Tejwani, The Story of Red Bull & Footba…

From our playground days experience, the most obvious thing we know is that not everyone wants to be a goalkeeper. Hence why, that role is somehow rather reserve for one of our co-host, Bala. However in the context of modern football, we have also learned a great deal that being a good goalkeeper is not for everyone. Hence, not only it takes a spec…

For us The BOLA BOLA Show, football is a game for all and that includes the women's game as well. As in previous episodes, we had prominent personality to speak with us on this subject. This time, it is huge honor us to speak to the captain of our very own Malaysian Women's football team, Steffi Sarge Kaur! On this episode, we focus on her humble b…

When mentioned the name Zesh Rehman to any Malaysian football fan, the first thing that comes to mind is him being one-quarter of the famous Pahang's Four Horsemen from 2014 (alongside Dickson Nwakaeme, Matias Conti, and Damion Stewart). That year, Pahang prevented JDT's rise to dominance in the Malaysian football landscape.One can never forget tha…

KL City FC is riding high on a 10 game unbeaten streak since drawing with defending champions JDT back in April and is currently sitting comfortably at sixth position in the Super League. Though they were unlucky to be drawing most of them it is still a remarkable run for a team that just got promoted this season. Playing a big part in this is the …

When mentioned the name Marlon Alex James to Malaysian football fans, three things come to mind. Goals, goals, and more goals. Ever since he arrived here in 2004 to play for the now-defunct side Selangor MK Land, the Vincetion international striker will always find the net one way or the other. Thus cementing himself as one of the greatest goalscor…

Although he spent the bulk of his football career in Hong Kong, mentioned the name Tim Bredbury it will definitely raise a few eyebrows among older generation Malaysian football fans. Especially among long-time Selangor faithful, as Bredbury had spent a season with the Red Giants in the early 1990s. These days, Tim Bredbury is still based in Hong K…

Mentioned the word FC Bayern Munich, it doesn't take long for any football fans to recognize as it is one of the strongest brand in world football. But just much do we know about its women's team? It was a sweet season for the club as they manage to seize the Frauen-Bundesliga title after four season, from their arch rivals VfL Wolfsburg. The club …

We're honored to have Mr Lim Teong Kim back again on the podcast. Previously he was featured in our podcast Episode No.28, discussing about his role at the National Football Development Programme plus many more. This time, he wanted to share with us his thought on Harimau Malaya's recent performance at the World Cup/Asian Cup qualifier. He also had…

As someone who has served the country for more than 30 years and has been involved in Malaysia's Olympic Contingent in various capacities from the Summer Games in Barcelona 1992 to London 2012, it was important for us to dedicate this special episode to Dr. Ramlan Abd. Aziz on his life experience and journey. To listen, subscribe and follow us, jus…

The world was in a state of shock following Christian Eriksen's sudden collapsed after suffering cardiac arrest during Denmark's Euro 2020 opener against Finland at Parken Stadium on June 12th, 2021. So in this episode, we dive deeper to understand on what is the cause & reason behind cardiac arrest professional athletes and what are the necessary …

It wasn't a good start for Malaysia against United Arab Emirates in the AFC zone World Cup qualifier. Losing 4-0 in Dubai has thrown in a lot of questions, ranging from team selection to gameplay strategy to the rationale of selecting naturalized footballers. Which only makes our upcoming assignment against Vietnam and Thailand even more challengin…

As promised, the second part of our EURO special throwback series. This time it will Ras from Back Passt With Ras turn to host us! The new millennium brought so much more excitement to this competition. In this episode, we take a look back at the EURO's that took place in the noughties era. From the first time, the EURO had a joint host by Belgium …

The first time we're doing a collaborative podcast! We've teamed up with Ras (previously featured on our Inter Milan episode) from the Back Passt With Ras podcast. With the upcoming EURO 2021 just around the corner, in this episode, we will take a look back at the 1992 and 1996 editions. We tried to cover the many interesting stories that emerge fr…

We were thrilled to be able to talk to former Terengganu FC footballer, Issey Nakajima-Farran on our podcast. As you all know, Issey has a colourful career having played in North America, Asia, and Europe so he does have a lot of interesting insight to share including his love for Terengganu's very own, Nasi Dagang. To listen, subscribe and follow …

Terengganu FC is one of the most promising team in the Malaysian Super League. We've heard so many interesting stories about their management, on how they do things differently from other professional teams despite having to operate on a tight budget. So it was a no-brainer that we had to bring the team manager's Zul Fadli Rozi to give us some insi…

Foxsports football pundit Shebby Singh needs no introduction!As a footballer, he had a decorated career featuring for the likes of Johor, the great Kuala Lumpur team of the 80s, Pahang Dream Team in the early 90s and also the National Team, winning gold at the 1989 SEA Games on home soil. But it was his post-playing career which perhaps made him a …

Kakijersi, a Malaysian kit brand has been in the business for almost half a decade. This year they hit another milestone when they became the official kit supplier for not one but TWO professional teams (Perak FC and Negeri Sembilan FC) in the Malaysian Football League. It was a huge honour to have the co-founder and chief operating officer, Nor Ak…

In the 2020 Malaysian Super League, UiTM FC was a surprise package team that finished in 7th place in the league. Playing an integral part of that team is French defender Victor Nirennold. It was a huge pleasure for us to be able to talk to him about his journey from France to Malaysia. Also, what are the important traits one must possess as a defe…

Football is back! The Malaysian Super League will be kicking off on the 5th of March 2021 between defending champion, Johor Darul Ta'zim and Kedah FC. In this episode, STAR Sports football journalist, T. Avineshwaran joins our podcast to give us his insight on (4:05) the privatization of Malaysian football teams, (24:45) racism in Malaysian footbal…

Scott Ollerenshaw is no stranger to Sabah and Malaysian football. As a player, he was part of the Borneo side's golden generation that won multiple honours during his four years stint with them (from 1994 to 1997). Since retiring Scott has always hoped to return to his beloved Rhinos one day and helping them in another capacity. Recently, it was a …

On the 19th of January 2021, Johor Darul Ta'zim has announced their latest signing for the coming Malaysian Super League season, Jonathan Herrera from Argentina. For this episode, all the way from Buenos Aires, we got Peter Coates of Golazo Argentino to chat with us as he gave us some insight and what we can expect from JDT's newest import. There i…

Our first episode of 2021 is an interview with Penang FC's goalkeeper Bryan See Tian Keat. In 2020, he had his breakthrough year with PDRM including a Man of the Match performance against Johor Darul Ta'zim. Despite PDRM were relegated in what was a relatively short season due to Covid-19 pandemic, Bryan See was regarded as the team's best performe…

You don't get to be called Rambo unless you have lived like one. Alfadli Awaludin aka anakmemberontak, did just that when he travelled to the iconic Gelora Bung Karno for the 2010 AFF Suzuki Cup Final second leg. At one stage, he found himself all alone and being surrounded by the huge red waves of home fans. Yet this didn't deter his spirit to sup…

Well as 2020 draws to a closure, it was a good time for us to look back at Malaysia's last success at the international stage, the 2010 AF Suzuki Cup. Ten years on, this success still remains an iconic moment in our country's history. On this episode, after miraculously escaping from the group stage, Malaysia turns it up big time to complete a fair…

Well as 2020 draws to a closure, it was a good time for us to look back at Malaysia's last success at the international stage, the 2010 AF Suzuki Cup. Ten years on, this success still remains an iconic moment in our country's history. On this episode, we focus on the pre-tournament expectation and the entire group stage. As you're about to find out…

The first time ever we have a professional footballer on our show! This week we are joined by Julia Simic who currently plays for AC Milan and has also been capped twice by Germany. Julia talks to us about her football journey from childhood to playing career in Germany, England & Italy and her international career. We also look into what are the m…

On Wednesday the 25th of November, Diego Armando Maradona passed away at the age of 60. On this episode, we decided to pay our tribute to (or one of) the Greatest Ever Footballer to play the game. To us, Diego was everything we could ask for from football. So this was a great opportunity for us to say thank you to the man who means so much to us. W…

Anyone who grew up watching Malaysian football in the 90s will never forget the name, Abbas Saad. On this episode, we look back at his career from obscurity in down under Australia to superstardom with Johor and Singapore Lions. Before Phua Chu Kang, it was Abbas who lived and breath the tag "best in Singapore and JB" when he inspired both Johor an…

Over the last 30 years, women's football has been growing from strength to strength. However, there is still a lot of ongoing issues especially when it comes to recognition and respect that is on par with the men's game. Also, there is a lack of development on the women's game in the South East Asia region. But this isn't just about women playing t…

When you think of Bayer Leverkusen, you automatically think of “Neverkusen”! An important piece of that amazing side from 2001/02 that came so close to achieving an unprecedented treble in Germany is none other than Leverkusen captain himself, Jens Nowotny. In this episode, we look back at his playing career, life after retirement and much more. As…

With Luqman Hakim now on a verge of a breakthrough European career, it was high time that we spoke to the man was responsible for discovering Malaysian football's wonderboy. In 2013, Lim Teong Kim returned to Malaysia after being involved with Bayern Munich's youth set up for fifteen years to take care charge of the National Football Development Pr…

We got down to talk with former Spurs and Swiss international, Ramon Vega about his playing career and life after football; which includes setting a very successful business endeavour and also one time aiming for the biggest post in football, the FIFA President! To listen, subscribe and follow us, just click on the following link to our Anchor, You…

If you grew up with Malaysian football in the 1990s, we don’t have to tell you just how big Selangor was back then. Historically, Selangor was always a successful side but in the nineties, they began to flex their muscle, unlike anything that was seen up to that point. Joining us as the special guests, we manage to romp in two legendary figures who…

When one mentions the word "Venezuela", the first thing that comes to people's mind is perhaps baseball, beauty pageant or maybe telenovela. However, in recent times, the game of football is also the rise and to tell this story, we got Jordan Florit the author of Red Wine & Arepas: How Football is Becoming Venezuela's Religion to give us an insight…

Our focus this week is all about Malaysian based abroad. As we know, Malaysian wonderboy Luqman Hakim has already signed with Belgian side K.V. Kortrijk. While Dion Cools, who is half Belgian/Malaysian is now playing for r FC Midtjylland in the Danish Superliga. This week we heard the possibility of current Malaysian superstar, Safawi Rasid heading…

If anyone told us that when we started this podcast that one day we will be talking to a World Cup winner, we would not have believed it! Even when the legendary Thomas Berthold himself agreed to do the podcast with us, we were still in cloud nine. It was such a surreal feeling to have another first time on The BOLA BOLA Show, having a conversation…

Back in 2013 at the age of 27, Johnathan McKinstry became the youngest international head coach in the world when he took over the Sierra Leone national team. Since then he has gone to manage the Rwanda national team and also clubs in Lithuania and Bangladesh. He is now in charge of the Uganda national team. We talk to McKinstry on his fascinating …

After a 30 years long wait, Liverpool has finally won a top-flight league (and their first Premier League) title. Playing a huge part in this success (apart from everything about Jürgen Klopp) is Thomas Gronnemark, a throw-in specialist coach from Denmark. We are extremely proud to have Mr Gronnemark who is the latest guest in our podcast to share …

Stephen Constantine has been a globetrotting gaffer ever since he embarked on taking his first assignment with the Nepal National Team in 1999. Since then he has gone on to coach at clubs and countries in Europe, Africa and Asia over the past 20 years. Of course, he is notably known for his two stints as the Indian national team head coach. He guid…