News of the death of the former deputy president of the Johor Football Association (JFA) was posted on the Johor Southern Tigers Facebook page.

“We wish to convey our condolences to the family of Datuk Suleiman Mohd Noor, the Father of Johor Football, who died just a short while ago. May Allah bless his soul,” the posting on the official Facebook account of the Johor Darul Takzim football team said.

It is understood Suleiman died at 7.50pm while undergoing dialysis at the KPJ Specialist Hospital here.

News of his death was confirmed by former footballer Hassan Miskam, who played for Johor and the national team in the 1980s and 1990s.

Hassan, 49, who received a Whatsapp message on Suleiman’s passing from JDT assistant coach Ismail Ibrahim, said he was deeply saddened over the loss of one of the greatest figures in Malaysian football.

“He was a very serious man on the field but was quite a joker off it. He was very much a father figure to us,” he told Bernama.

Under Suleiman’s leadership, Johor became the first state to secure a “double”, winning the prestigious Malaysia Cup and M-League title, which they achieved in 1991.

He was also given the honour of opening JDT’s Indoor Training Centre in Padang Seri Gelam here in April last year. The facility was named Datuk Suleiman Mohd Noor Indoor Training Centre in appreciation of his immense contributions to Johor football.