KUALA LUMPUR – Are foreign footballers capable of respecting our Malaysian culture?
Malaysia has been a favourite destination for over a thousand foreign footballers, including iconic international players such as Pablo Aimar, Dani Güiza, and El Hadji Diouf, who sought livelihood when the Football Association Malaysia (FAM) permitted local clubs to recruit foreign players in 1989.
With changes in the quota for foreign players occurring several times in the last decade, the number of incidents involving foreign footballers assaulting game officials has steadily risen over the years.
Doubts have also arisen regarding the ability of local football coaches to manage foreign players and their ability to educate them to respect the Malaysian football landscape.
Speaking to Scoop, former Kedah FC coach Azraai Khor Abdullah shed light on the challenges and opportunities of managing foreign players during his tenure.
“First of all, I firmly believe that being a good player is nothing but being a good person is everything. My coaching goes beyond teaching players to execute my strategies; it revolves around building players who can earn respect from everyone, including fans, game officials, and opponents.
“For people to respect you, you have to respect them first. With foreign players being different from our locals and very expressive, I always taught them to control their emotions and words, ensuring they maintained a respectful demeanour. This is the reason why we were very successful with Kedah.
“For example, when I had Marlon Alex James in my team, I would discuss life matters with him and advise him to uphold the 3Ds – dedication, determination, and discipline.
“I won’t lie; there were times when Alex was easily distracted by unnecessary things but I would always advise him to focus on football and take care of the family he left behind.
“These are the things our current local coaches need to do. They must socially connect with foreign players to prevent any issues,” said Azraai.
Azraai said that he took pride in the career growth of his former players and hopes to see them apply the values he instilled in future generations.
“Baddrol Bakhtiar is one of the best players I have developed under my leadership. His disciplined attitude is the main reason why he could play for Kedah for over 16 years.
“Now, he’s doing well in politics, and I’m really proud of him. I believe he will carry out his duties diligently, just as he did as a footballer.
“Baddrol will make a great coach, and I hope one day he returns to football, continuing the legacy I created by producing more quality players with good attitudes and values for Kedah,” Azraai added.
The urgency of addressing these coaching challenges with foreign players comes in the wake of recent incidents, including a lifetime ban imposed by the FAM on former Selangor FC centre-back Yazan Al-Arab (Jordanian) for assaulting a match referee.
In 2021, Johor Darul Ta’zim’s (JDT) Ignacio Insa Bohigues, also known as Natxo Insa, was charged by FAM for pushing a match referee during a Malaysia Super League match, while former Kelantan FC player Jack Hindle, who hails from England, was also charged by the footballing body for a similar situation.
Under Azraai’s leadership, Kedah FC achieved a historic back-to-back domestic treble (Malaysia Super League, Malaysia Cup, and FA Cup) in the 2006/07 and 2007/08 seasons.
Despite current financial challenges, Kedah FC continues to perform on the field, currently ranking third in the Super League and striving for AFC Cup qualification.
The club boasts a prestigious history, claiming the Super League title three times (1993, 2006, and 2007) and winning the Malaysia FA Cup five times (1990, 1993, 2007, 2008, and 2016). – November 23, 2023.