SUBANG JAYA – The Football Association of Malaysia’s (FAM) plan to become a football powerhouse by 2026 is reportedly on the right track after successfully implementing phase one of its F:30 plan.
Phase one of the project by the national body included Malaysia qualifying for the Asian Cup as the timeline was from 2019 to 2022.
FAM president Datuk Hamidin Mohd Amin said that the performance and the achievements of the junior and senior team respectively is a good indicator that Malaysian football is progressing.
At the same time, Hamidin hopes the momentum can be sustained for the second phase of the F:30 plan, from 2023 to 2026.
“We got to the last round of the Under-17, Under-13 and senior Asian Cup. Our Under-19 team did not manage the same but they won the Asean Football Federation (AFF) Cup.
“For the senior side, we managed to draw with China and Syria teams that are ranked top-90 in the world. We also beat India but unfortunately lost to Tajikistan, this shows good momentum for the senior national side.
“For the second phase, we hope that each team will continue to showcase good and consistent performances to qualify for the final round of Championships under the Asian Football Confederation (AFC).
“They have to maintain this performance because the teams and coaches know this involves their key performance index (KPI),” he said at the launch of the second phase of F:30 today.
Also present at the launch was the Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh, her deputy Adam Adli Abdul Halim, AFF president Major General Khiev Sameth, OCM president Tan Seri Mohamad Norza Zakaria, and AFC general secretary Datuk Seri Windsor John.
At the same time, Hamidin also admits that the plans which were executed in Phase 1 will be the best guide to ensure Phase 2 is a success.
“We can see what we have done and I admit that there are a few things that we didn’t achieve. But what is important is that for the rest we make sure our achievements go above our target,” he added.
For Phase 2 of the F:30 plan, FAM will focus on three main cores, which are brand development through sponsorship and collaboration with private entities; growing the game by expanding the pool of players in the country; as well as strengthening the national squad and empowering the organisation with innovative approaches. – November 11, 2023