Let professionals run football association

Comment: Let professionals run football association

By : M. K. Megan

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MALAYSIAN football is the pits.

The 5-0 drubbing at the hands, or rather the feet, of Uzbekistan on Saturday after the 5-1 trouncing by China on Tuesday, were the final nails in the national team’s coffin.

The remaining match in the ongoing Asian Cup against Iran on Wednesday will be insignificant, although another hammering is expected given the team’s pathetic performances, not only in this tournament but also in other tournaments in the last few years.

The best thing now is to bury the whole episode and start from scratch.

It would not be embarrassing to take leave from active international football for about 10 years and build a formidable team that we can be proud of instead of pushing ahead with a "schoolboy team" that passes off as our national side.

Everyone, from clubs to state FAs to the Football Association of Malaysia, has contributed to the sorry state of soccer in the country.

We have had politicians and members of the royalty at the helm of the FAM for more than 20 years. What have we got to show for it, pray tell?

FAM deputy president Tengku Abdullah did the honourable thing yesterday by resigning from all positions he held in the national football body.

A poll conducted by TV3 during its prime news slot yesterday revealed that 95 per cent of the viewers supported the resignation of Tengku Abdullah.

His resignation indicates he has taken responsibility for the poor performance of the national team. But he is not the only person who should take the blame. The whole committee should share the blame.

Instead of trying to persuade Tengku Abdullah to reconsider his decision, the officials should pick up courage and follow his lead: They should all resign.

Malaysia was once on par with teams such as South Korea and Japan. Today, these teams are playing in the World Cup tournament. Where is Malaysia? Why, losing to teams such as those from the Philippines and Sri Lanka, of course. What a shame. What a tragedy.

Sure, FAM brought several important tournaments such as the 1997 Youth World Cup and the current Asian Cup to our shores. But where is the result we have been yearning for? Has it contributed to raising the standard of the game locally?

Instead of just being gracious — and losing — hosts, we should start looking inwards. We should improve the standard of our game before playing against big teams.

It is frustrating for football fans. They have watched the national team’s slide since it last qualified for a prestigious international tournament — the 1980 Moscow Olympics — when the late Tan Sri Hamzah Abu Samah was FAM president.

Many are saying the slide started after Sultan Ahmad Shah and others took over in 1984. We have not seen any euphoric football moment since then.

From being ranked about 60-something by Fifa in the 80s, Malaysia is now languishing at a poor 149th position.

It is no wonder that FAM is not getting corporate sponsorships. Which company or brand would want to be associated with losers?

We are bankrupt where football is concerned and now FAM says it is on the verge of bankruptcy.

There is only one thing to do if the officials are really passionate about the game and if they want the sport to reach greater heights: FAM should be run by professionals.