KUALA LUMPUR: "Before I close my eyes (for good), I want to see Malaysia qualify for the Olympics, but which I don't think will happen. That's how the state of football in the country is now," said Datuk Jamal Nasir.
These sad words were uttered by the football legend who said he can only dream of seeing Malaysia qualifying again for the Olympics, like what he had achieved with the national team for the 1980 Moscow Olympics.
Though Malaysia qualified earlier this week for next year's Under-23 Asian Cup in Doha, where the top three teams will advance to the Paris Olympics, Jamal is not impressed.
He doesn't see Malaysia finishing in the top three among the 16 teams in Doha.
Jamal wasn't convinced by Malaysia's performance at the Under-23 Asian Cup qualifiers in Chonburi.
Malaysia beat Bangladesh 2-0, Philippines 4-0 but lost 1-0 to Thailand and finished second in their group.
Malaysia were only given a ticket to the tournament proper as one of the four best second-placed teams after edging out Iran on "disciplinary points". Both teams were tied on points, goals scored, and goal difference
Jamal said E. Elavarasan, as assistant to national senior team coach Kim Pan Gon, should have transferred whatever he had learnt to the national Under-23 team.
"But from what I saw, it didn't work. Why?" said Jamal.
"Why is the national Under-23 team's game so different from the senior team?"
Despite his criticism, Jamal felt that Elavarasan should be retained as the coach for the Under-23 Asian Cup.
Fans, on social media, had called for Elavarasan to step down.
"I understand that Elavarasan has his constraints. He may not get the players released by clubs earlier for training. If you have only two weeks, it isn't enough," said Jamal.