KUALA LUMPUR – National futsal head coach Rakphol Sainetngam stressed the need for increased competitiveness within the Malaysia Premier Futsal League (MPFL) and advocated for the establishment of additional leagues across the country to foster the sport’s growth.
The 45-year-old Rakphol, who is under a two-year contract with the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) replacing Chiew Chun Yong last year, is highly rated in the Thailand Futsal League.
Rakphol was named the best futsal coach in the Thai League from 2010 to 2017. He also coached in Indonesia, where he guided Indonesia’s Black Steel FC to the AFF Futsal Club Championship crown in Korat last year.
He is currently in Nonthaburi, Thailand, guiding his side at the 2024 National Sports Development Fund Futsal Championship, held from March 24-28.
The invitational futsal tournament features four teams: Malaysia, Afghanistan, Australia, and Thailand.
Speaking to Scoop from Nonthaburi, Rakphol believes futsal is more than just a recreational sport in Malaysia and should be leveraged to increase the national team’s talent pool.
“We should not take futsal lightly in Malaysia. It should not just be a recreational sport as we have so many talents across the country.
“I just hope to see more competitive leagues across the country. Stakeholders should collaborate with FAM to work together on coming up with more competitive leagues like those in Thailand and other Asian countries.
“This is needed for the sport to grow and for the players to become competitive. I’m not saying that our MPFL is not good, it’s just not competitive enough with only a few teams participating in it.
“The more leagues we have, the better. We can start seeing more players coming into the national camp, and we can start becoming a formidable side in the region,” said Rakphol when contacted.
Rakphol further said that he aims to make futsal players in his national team more versatile so they can play with Harimau Malaya in the future.
“I know field football is the number one sport in Malaysia. But we cannot deny the fact that the hidden gems of the country are the street and futsal players.
“These players are the most versatile ones and have more in their locker.
“If you look at Brazil or even Thailand, where I come from…the majority of them in the national team were once street footballers and futsal players.
“As long as I’m here, I will ensure that I make all the pool of talents that I have become even more versatile, and who knows, one day they can also transition into becoming field footballers.
“Never underestimate futsal players; even players like Neymar and Ronaldinho were once futsal players.
“I’m here with a long-term goal, and I want to make Malaysia the best in Southeast Asia and then one of the best in Asia. God willing, we can also play in the FIFA Futsal World Cup one day,” Rakphol added.
MPFL is a men’s professional futsal league sanctioned by FAM. It was previously known as the Liga Futsal Kebangsaan.
Successful MPFL teams qualify for Asian continental club competitions, including the AFC Futsal Club Championship and AFF Futsal Club Championship.
MPFL currently does not practice promotion and relegation. – March 26, 2024