WHO is responsible for Malaysia’s football success at youth international level of late?
Many fans are excitedly asking this question — is it the coach, the official, or the programme?
This has led to Malaysian Football Coaches Association (MFCA) president B. Satiananthan saying no individual should be credited for Malaysia’s success.
He told Malaysia Football League (MFL) that it is the collective effort of FAM and the government.
He said this following Malaysia’s success in winning the Asean Football Federation (AFF) Under-15 title in Chonburi apart from a great run in the ongoing AFF Under-18 championship in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.
The national Under-15 team, coached by P. Maniam, and the Under-18, helmed by Brad Maloney, have caught the imagination with their cavalier run, including impressive 3-0 wins over Australia.
Satiananthan said no one should attribute these successes to just one person.
“These good results are all due to the involvement of all parties,” he said.
However, he admitted that former Sports Minister Khairy Jamaluddin and FAM president Datuk Hamidin Amin are among those who should be credited for Malaysia’s rise in international youth football.
“If you still ask me if there is any individual responsible for Malaysia’s success, I personally will mention two names... Khairy and Hamidin, and no one else.”
Satiananthan said Khairy was the one who introduced the National Football Development Programme in 2013, making football a national agenda.
He said Khairy’s idea proved that Malaysian youngsters have great potential while Hamidin has done much by focusing on development work.