KUALA LUMPUR – Former national under-16 football head coach P. Maniam has expressed that he is disappointed with the team’s decline under current management in recent years.
The 56-year-old coach, who took over the role from Datuk Lim Teong Kim in 2019, led the under-16s under the management of then-manager Datuk S. Sivasundaram, also the Football Association of Malaysia’s deputy president.
During Maniam’s tenure (2019-2020), the under-16s saw success in competitions they participated in.
By selecting young players from various states and football clubs rather than relying solely on Mokhtar Dahari Academy (AMD) players, the team won the 2019 AFF U16 Boys’ Championship, coming from behind to defeat host Thailand 2-1 in the final.
The same year also saw Maniam’s team become champions in the Jockey Club Football Tournament in Hong Kong after defeating Iran in the final and winning the Chinese Football Association International Youth Tournament, defeating North Korea in the final.
Currently, under the guidance of newly appointed head coach Javier Jorda Ribera and team manager Christopher Raj, Malaysia are drawn in Group C alongside Thailand, East Timor, and Australia for this year’s AFF U16 Boys’ Championship.
Among the 28 players chosen for the first intensive training camp session prior to the tournament, a staggering 15 are from AMD, 13 from Johor Darul Ta’zim (JDT), and one from Singa Muda Perlis.
On standby are an additional five players from AMD and three from JDT, underscoring AMD’s dominance with 20 players in the mix.
The national under-16s last played as a unit during the U17 Asian Cup in Thailand. Only the AMD under-16 players had game time against Gamba Osaka Youth in January this year.
It was reported that the AMD under-16 side lost the match 10-0.
‘Scout for more talents, arrange more friendlies’
Speaking to Scoop, Maniam, who is currently the head coach of Polis Diraja Malaysia FC, said that the current management of the national under-16 side should make more efforts to include players other than AMD players in the team if they hope to elevate the standard of the team’s gameplay.
“We used to be a team that easily defeated our opponents from Iran, Australia, Japan, and Thailand. To see the current team struggling to get favourable results against teams no less superior to us is sad to witness.
“During my time, I was actively searching for more players outside of AMD to be in the team, and I believe the current coaches and management should do the same. There are many talents in various states and other football clubs across the country.
“Under the management of then-manager Datuk Sivasundaram, I was given more freedom to get the players that I wanted.
“The management and coaches should also be vocal in arranging more friendly matches for the boys, suggesting they compete with some of the best teams to improve.
“I used to be in close contact with all the states and clubs, always asking if there were any good players I could bring into my team.
“Whenever they told me there was a talent, I would immediately head to the place with my scouts to monitor their performances.
“Aside from AMD players, I brought in players from Terengganu, Perak, and Selangor. I’m sad that heavy talent scouting is not happening nowadays. I hope this changes in the future,” said Maniam when contacted.
At the same time, Maniam also believes that with more time given to the current coaching team, the national under-16 team will be able to see improvements in the years to come.
“Changes will take time, but I have some confidence in the coaching team surrounding the new head coach (Javier).
“Coaches such as V. Kalaichelvan have a lot of experience and are good with the technical aspects of the game. I hope that the team can do well in this year’s AFF Championship,” Maniam added.
Throughout his 19-year coaching career, Maniam has also coached various age levels of Selangor FC, including the under-19s, under-21s, and the senior team.
Maniam, who played for Selangor in the 1990s, holds a pro-diploma licence from the Asian Football Confederation, the highest coaching licence in Asia and equivalent to UEFA’s pro license.
Notable players developed by coach Maniam during his career include Syahmi Safari (Johor Darul Ta’zim), V. Ruventhiran (Selangor FC), Darren Lok (Sabah FC), and Mahalli Jasuli (Negeri Sembilan FC).
The AFF tournament is scheduled to take place in Surakarta, Indonesia, from June 21 to July 4.
In the previous edition of the tournament, which also took place in Indonesia, Malaysia U16s were knocked out in the group stage. – June 18, 2024