Foreign pros have done well (The Malay Mail)

IF IT could be helped, Penang coach Moey Yoke Ham would not want to lose
the foreign touch in his Premier One winning team.
 Yoke Ham said his team would feel the strain if foreign players are done
away from the M-League next season.
 Weighing the pros and cons, he said: "If financial difficulty is the
main factor for doing away with foreign players, then we'll just have to
go with it.
 "But I believe if teams stay within their means, the money problem can
be solved.
 "If teams do not have the money for three foreign players, they need not
take three and burden themselves."
 Yoke Ham said it was unfair to generalise that foreign players have not
served their purpose in the local soccer scene.
 "Without our foreign players, we would not be the formidable team we are
now.
 "Most foreign players here have in one way or another contributed to
their teams. And the local players are learning from them.
 "As for those who are not up to the mark, we should blame ourselves for
making a poor selection rather then faulting the players.
 "Our players like Merzagua (Abderazzak), Riyadh (Abbas), Balla (Conde)
and Fabio (Da Silva) who is injured, have been exemplary figures.
 "There have been occasions when I got the local players to train under
them to learn more about the game.
 "And I am sure the opposing teams have also benefited from the presence
of foreigners, some of whom have tested the local players to the limit.
 "Any local defender marking Merzagua for instance, will definitely end
up  richer in experience."
 The final decision on foreign players will be made at the FAM Council
meeting on Sunday.
 There is a strong likelihood of foreign players being barred for at
least one season but the State FAs could compromise by allowing one
foreign player per team.
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