PETALING JAYA – Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) technical director Scott O’Donell has proposed the establishment of a Malaysia under-15 and under-16 football league as a strategic move to diversify and strengthen the talent pool for Malaysia’s national teams.
This initiative comes in response to criticism regarding the over-reliance on the Akademi Mokhtar Dahari (AMD) for supplying players to the under-16 team.
AMD, funded by the government and overseen by the National Sports Council (NSC), has been responsible for producing 90% of players for the under-16 team in recent years.
Despite its efforts, only a few players over the past decade, such as JDT’s Arif Aiman Hanapi and Luqman Hakim Shamsudin who plays for YSCC Yokohama in the Japanese league, have successfully transitioned to notable careers.
In his proposal, Scott emphasised the need for a broader base of talent from which the national teams can draw.
As such, he believes the under-16 league would facilitate smoother transitions for players through the various youth levels (Malaysia under-19s, under-21s, under-23s, and senior teams) up to the national squad.
“I have come up with a proposal and I’m looking into creating a league competition for our under-15s and under-16 players.
“This is to ensure that they have a platform to showcase their talents and be on the radar of the national team.
“Through this method, we can choose more talents from the league regularly without only depending on players from certain academies and clubs such as AMD,” he said.
Currently, Malaysia has two existing youth tournaments — the Youth Cup for Malaysia under-18 players and the Superimau League for players aged under 14 to 17.
However, Scott views these as insufficient for nurturing a comprehensive talent pool capable of competing at international levels like the FIFA U-17 World Cup.
“We need to begin now and we need to start vigorously with the competitions for the players that we have.
“I’m working hard on the proposal and vying to make sure that it happens.
“Once FAM gives the green light, I hope all the states and clubs will work together on this initiative by sending their players via teams to compete in the league,” said O’Donell when met at the under-16 players and coaches introduction session today.
From 2025 onward, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) will have nine slots in the FIFA U-17 World Cup and four in the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup, enhancing opportunities for Asian teams.
Meanwhile, Scott commended the efforts taken by the newly appointed under-16 head coach Javier Jorda Ribera in getting the right players for the upcoming ASEAN U-16 Boys Championship.
“I want to congratulate the players who managed to impress Javier. It will be an honour for them to represent their country at such a young age.
“Javier has worked very hard in the last couple of months to find the right players for the tournament in Surakarta, and I hope the boys can give their best and deliver well in the tournament,” O’Donell added.
Under the guidance of Ribera and team manager Christopher Raj, Malaysia were drawn in Group C alongside Thailand, East Timor, and Australia for the 19th edition of the tournament.
It will take place in Surakarta, Indonesia, from June 21 to July 4.
Ribera selected 23 players after assessing 161 candidates from various states and clubs since coming on board in May this year.
In the previous edition, also held in Indonesia, the under-16s were eliminated in the group stage. – June 19, 2024