NO big stars, no big bucks and no foreign players!
Yet, the Singapore Lions XII, an invitational side, have won the Super League title.
An Under-23 Project squad, boosted by five senior players, have put to shame the whole of Malaysian football – including the mega-rich and established teams.
What a crying shame, indeed?
So, what have we learnt from all this?
Our teams need a high level of commitment and professionalism – which can be found abundantly in the Lions XII – to succeed.
The five senior Singapore national players have been a pillar of strength and a role model for the young ones. They played their hearts out for the pride of the nation.
One should pay a special tribute to their inspirational skipper Shahril Ishak – notably the best attacking player.
Together with Isa Salim and Fazrul Nawas, they pulled the strings up front.
Towering centreback Baihaki Khaizan is a colossus in the heart of defence while goalkeeper Izwan Mahbud provided a safe pair of hands between the posts.
One thing’s for sure, the Lions have taken full advantage of the Malaysian Super League (MSL) to prepare their Under-23 players for the Myanmar SEA Games in December.
There are some talented rising stars in their ranks, like Hariss Harun, Safirul Sulaiman, Madhu Mohana, Safuwan Baharuddin and Shafiq Ghani.
Lions XII coach V. Sundramoorthy only expected a top-five finish but his men instead turned the tables on local giants Kelantan, Selangor and Armed Forces.
One reason they won the title was their almost impeccable home form – 10 wins and a draw – at the Jalan Besar Stadium.
That – the artificial pitch at the stadium – is their secret weapon, according to many teams.
But if that was so, how come teams like Kelantan, Johor FC and Terengganu won at the same venue last year, when Singapore made their return to Malaysian football after an 18-year lapse?
The FA of Malaysia (FAM) need to have a re-look at the MSL and see if the teams are doing it right.
Let’s also take a closer look at the foreign signings.
How many teams have blundered in the signing of foreign pros this season? At least 80% of the teams changed the foreign players during the transfer window in April. So, what does this show?
Just look at the second-tier Premier League. How many teams are professional in their set-up and how many are making a mockery of the game?
Do we need the Premier League if it’s not doing any justice to the development of the game?
Even Youth and Sports Minister Khairy Jamaluddin was perplexed by the dire state of the game in the country compared to the huge amount of sponsorship received by the FAM.
Everyone has the right to question the rot that has set in in Malaysian football.
Believe it or not, we are into the 10th year of professional football in Malaysia and we are still lagging behind our neighbours.
Has the MSL made any progress in the last 10 years? It’s an emphatic no!
Why? Well, for a start none of our teams are able to even shine in the second-tier AFC Cup competition. None has gotten past the quarter-final stage since 2004.
All efforts to raise the bar have failed.
Below are 10 reasons why I think we are still struggling to improve our game, FAM (I hope they will take note):
·Too many deadwood (FAM and affiliates) holding on to their positions;
·Poor planning of domestic fixtures and the national team’s calendar;
·The MSL is not competitive (reduce the number of teams);
·No incentives for teams in the AFC Cup/Asian Champions League;
·Poor selection of foreign pros (almost all teams changed their pros during the transfer window);
·The FAM and affiliates are not professional (privatisation of the MSL – in line with AFC/FIFA requirements);
·Players lack discipline
·Players no longer hunger for success (prefer to play locally instead of going abroad);
·Lack of infrastructures for football (no proper playing grounds and disappearing fields); and
·Lack of sports science to boost the standard of the game.
extracted from The Star 4 July 2013
Yet, the Singapore Lions XII, an invitational side, have won the Super League title.
An Under-23 Project squad, boosted by five senior players, have put to shame the whole of Malaysian football – including the mega-rich and established teams.
What a crying shame, indeed?
So, what have we learnt from all this?
Our teams need a high level of commitment and professionalism – which can be found abundantly in the Lions XII – to succeed.
The five senior Singapore national players have been a pillar of strength and a role model for the young ones. They played their hearts out for the pride of the nation.
One should pay a special tribute to their inspirational skipper Shahril Ishak – notably the best attacking player.
Together with Isa Salim and Fazrul Nawas, they pulled the strings up front.
Towering centreback Baihaki Khaizan is a colossus in the heart of defence while goalkeeper Izwan Mahbud provided a safe pair of hands between the posts.
One thing’s for sure, the Lions have taken full advantage of the Malaysian Super League (MSL) to prepare their Under-23 players for the Myanmar SEA Games in December.
There are some talented rising stars in their ranks, like Hariss Harun, Safirul Sulaiman, Madhu Mohana, Safuwan Baharuddin and Shafiq Ghani.
Lions XII coach V. Sundramoorthy only expected a top-five finish but his men instead turned the tables on local giants Kelantan, Selangor and Armed Forces.
One reason they won the title was their almost impeccable home form – 10 wins and a draw – at the Jalan Besar Stadium.
That – the artificial pitch at the stadium – is their secret weapon, according to many teams.
But if that was so, how come teams like Kelantan, Johor FC and Terengganu won at the same venue last year, when Singapore made their return to Malaysian football after an 18-year lapse?
The FA of Malaysia (FAM) need to have a re-look at the MSL and see if the teams are doing it right.
Let’s also take a closer look at the foreign signings.
How many teams have blundered in the signing of foreign pros this season? At least 80% of the teams changed the foreign players during the transfer window in April. So, what does this show?
Just look at the second-tier Premier League. How many teams are professional in their set-up and how many are making a mockery of the game?
Do we need the Premier League if it’s not doing any justice to the development of the game?
Even Youth and Sports Minister Khairy Jamaluddin was perplexed by the dire state of the game in the country compared to the huge amount of sponsorship received by the FAM.
Everyone has the right to question the rot that has set in in Malaysian football.
Believe it or not, we are into the 10th year of professional football in Malaysia and we are still lagging behind our neighbours.
Has the MSL made any progress in the last 10 years? It’s an emphatic no!
Why? Well, for a start none of our teams are able to even shine in the second-tier AFC Cup competition. None has gotten past the quarter-final stage since 2004.
All efforts to raise the bar have failed.
Below are 10 reasons why I think we are still struggling to improve our game, FAM (I hope they will take note):
·Too many deadwood (FAM and affiliates) holding on to their positions;
·Poor planning of domestic fixtures and the national team’s calendar;
·The MSL is not competitive (reduce the number of teams);
·No incentives for teams in the AFC Cup/Asian Champions League;
·Poor selection of foreign pros (almost all teams changed their pros during the transfer window);
·The FAM and affiliates are not professional (privatisation of the MSL – in line with AFC/FIFA requirements);
·Players lack discipline
·Players no longer hunger for success (prefer to play locally instead of going abroad);
·Lack of infrastructures for football (no proper playing grounds and disappearing fields); and
·Lack of sports science to boost the standard of the game.
extracted from The Star 4 July 2013
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