Warning on the walls of FAM 14 years ago!

FA of Malaysia have finally decided to crack the whips on their affiliates for the new season, with many expected to be left out because of their financial woes.

14 years ago, I had written about the flaws with State FAs and warned the consequences (read here) under the heading : Time to crack the whip, FAM. It appeared in the Valley Voice column in The Malay Mail dated 4th Oct 1995.

Probably better late then never, but with the writings on the wall, and did FA of Malaysia have to wait for 14 years before acting?

And we wonder, why our national team is not doing well.

We cannot correct the ills of Malaysian soccer which backdates to at least two decades, overnight.

There is calls again for the change of leadership in FA of Malaysia.

But seriously, the rot is all the way down to the affiliates.

Can we call for a total revamp and change the entire leadership of Malaysian soccer starting from roots?

Probably too much to ask and not a reality.

But putting out some teams from the new season, could possibly be an answer the State FAs to mend their ways and act and run like a professional outfit.

Malaysian soccer went professional 14 years ago, but in majority of the State FAs, there is nothing that suggests that they are a professional outfit, except being big spenders.

We went semi-professional 21 years ago and Malaysian soccer should have reached adulthood today, but we are still very much in our infancy stage!

Will Malaysian soccer ever be revived again?

There is some hope with the national Under-23 team under coach K. Rajagobal. But my worry is what will happen after the Laos Sea Games.

It is going to be an uphill task to make the semifinals drawn in a tough group with the likes of Thailand, gold medalists in the last eight editions, Vietnam, the 2003 and 2005 silver medalist, Cambodia and Timor Leste.

Should Malaysia beat Timor Leste and Cambodia, they will have a realistic chance of making the semifinals if they can beat or draw against Vietnam. But if Malaysia fail to collect full points against Cambodia or Timor Leste, they can pack their bags and return home.

But whatever happens, the squad cannot be blamed if they fail, but the system.

Something good is happening with this team, and unless there is a long term plan, the true potential of this team will not be realised.

The million ringgit question is whether, we are willing to be patient and wait for the results to come, or we are going to call for the team to be disbanded after their Laos outing.

We have disbanded many teams in the past and yet we have not seen any anything better.

Let us not make the same mistake again, as finally something concrete is done to weed out the non-performers at the State level.

Malaysian soccer have once too often started something today and expected results yesterday!

Lets us start afresh once and for all and have a long term plan and stop hoping for a miracle to happen.

Malaysian soccer needs to see everything in place and right, starting from the grassroots - development programmes, schools soccer and leagues at States and districts level.

Results is going to take time and only patience and diligence, will bear fruits in time to come.

If we are going to continue with short term plans or stop gap measures, we are going to continue to fall flat over and over.

It is going to be a tedious process, because we have been left far behind, by even Thailand. But that is the only way to revive Malaysian soccer and there is no shortcuts!