KUALA LUMPUR – The Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) is eyeing a stronger future for its under-17 team through a renewed partnership with the National Sports Council (NSC), which oversees the National Football Development Programme (NFDP) and the Mokhtar Dahari Academy (AMD).
The governing body’s response follows the under-17 team’s failure to qualify for next year’s Asian Cup in Saudi Arabia, after a 2-2 draw against minnows Laos in Vientiane dashed their hopes.
Under head coach Javier Jorda Ribera, the team finished second in Group H, narrowly edging Laos on goal difference, while the United Arab Emirates topped the group with six points, securing a spot in the tournament.
In the wake of this outcome, team manager Christopher Raj, who also chairs FAM’s media and communications committee, honoured his pledge to step down.
FAM technical director Scott O’Donell expressed optimism about the improved relationship with the NSC, noting a new openness to regular discussions aimed at elevating the under-17 squad after years of minimal engagement.
Both the NFDP and AMD have been under NSC’s management since their launch in 2011, with FAM participating only on a steering committee.
Last year, FAM advocated for the programmes to be placed directly under its authority to strengthen football development.
“We’re not happy with the Asia Cup qualifiers result, but encouraged by the improved working relationship with NSC. Previously, we were only involved in development discussions twice a year, but over the past eight months, we’ve been meeting around four times a month.
“Of course, progress takes time, but we’re moving in the right direction, especially with the recent appointments of coach Javier and AMD technical director Oscar Francisco Gonzalez,” O’Donell told Scoop when met recently.
He said that FAM has been providing NFDP and AMD coaches with weekly refresher courses, a type of collaboration they “didn’t have before”, allowing for hands-on collaboration to identify top talents.
O’Donell also shared that FAM’s executive committee is considering more leagues and tournaments for state youth teams. Currently, Malaysia hosts the Youth Cup for under-18s and the Superimau League for players aged 14 to 17.
“We can’t just rely on AMD and Johor Darul Ta’zim’s under-16 players. We need to provide more competitive opportunities for footballers in other states to build a broader talent pool.
“I have received positive feedback from the executive committee and national team committees regarding plans to introduce more leagues and tournaments for youth players.
“We need to be serious about this if we aim to regularly qualify for the Asian Cup and the FIFA U-17 World Cup,” O’Donell added.
From 2025, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) will offer nine spots in the FIFA U-17 World Cup and four in the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup, enhancing opportunities for Asian teams. — November 5, 2024