Datuk Abdah Alif is 72 years old and has just gotten married.
His name is no ordinary one: he was a key member of the Malaysian team that defeated South Korea 2-1 in 1980 and earned a place at the Moscow Olympic Games on merit.
He played alongside figures such as Datuk Soh Chin Aun and Datuk Santokh Singh, during what is remembered as the golden era of Malaysian football.
Ultimately, neither he nor his teammates got to compete: Malaysia boycotted those Games in protest against the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan.
Four decades later, photos from his wedding circulated on social media and set off alarm bells among fans. His younger brother, Datuk Yunus Alif, also a former player and national coach, confirmed that Abdah got married on August 27 in Kuala Terengganu to a woman believed to be 20 years old. According to Yunus, both families gave their blessing to the marriage, and the reason Abdah was not answering calls was simple: he was on his honeymoon.
No one has revealed who she is. The only thing confirmed is the 52-year age difference between them, and that the legend who nearly made it to Moscow in 1980 is once again in the news for something completely different.