Malaysia has been kicked out of the Asian Cup after being thrashed 5-1 by China and then mauled in a 5-0 defeat to Uzbekistan. I foresee a similar outcome for tonights match against Iran.
I still remember the time when Malaysian football was in a much better shape in the 80s. Of course we didn’t make it to the World Cup even then, but nevertheless Malaysia was a force to be reckoned with in ASEAN and Asia in general. But even during those times, our World Cup qualifying dreams are often shattered by South Korea; one of the most consistent World Cup qualifiers in Asia.
But now football is a national shame. It’s also more shameful that the person at the top of the FAM, Sultan Ahmad Shah, refuses to step down and let more qualified professionals take charge of the Association. Why? Because apparently he thinks that resigning now would be a cowardly move.
He had 23 years at the helm and during that time Malaysia’s football woes continue to become worse. Everything else had been changed; players, coaches (both foreign and local coaches had been given the opportunity), lower peons in the FAM, and so on. The only thing that didn’t change is the person at the top.
And somehow setting up an inquiry to find out reasons for the national team’s abysmal performance is going to help them? How? I think Sultan Ahmad Shah only needs to look in a mirror to see one of the major reasons why Malaysian football is in the dumps.
We need a proven, seasoned, and experienced professional to lead the FAM. Getting someone who had actually played football profesionally would be helpful. Is this too much to ask?