Akmal Rizal comments on Malaysia's heritage footballers
Former international Akmal Rizal Rakhli attributed Malaysia's rise to both
development programmne and the inclusion of heritage players.
"This is the outcome of a long-term project that started under Tan Cheng Hoe (former national coach) and continues with Peter Cklamovski," he said.
"The addition of heritage players has also helped us get results against stronger teams."
Akmal believes that Harimau Malayia are well-positioned to continue their ascent.
Malaysia will debut in the Cafa Nations Cup (Aug 29-Sept 8) and also play three Asia Cup qualifiers in October and November.
Akmal said if Malaysia meet Iran in the Nations Cup and achieve a good result, this could significantly boost their world ranking.
"We could even reach world No. 120 by the end of the year if we build on what we showed against Vietnam (Malaysia won 4-0 in an Asian Cup qualifier last month).
"Strong performances in these competitive matches will give us more ranking points and better international standing," said Akmal, who scored 17 goals in 47 appearances for Malaysia,
On fans' concerns over the rising number of foreign-born players in the national team, Akmal said the naturalisation route is necessary.
"If we're being honest, this is something we needed to do. The heritage players are quality footballers who were developed in strong systems abroad.
"It opens our eyes to what's required to compete in Asia. But yes, it does reduce chances for local boys. Our local players can't be comfortable anymore.
"The message is clear, no spot is guaranteed. Some players who were regulars before are now out of the squad. It's a wake-up call," he said.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Free Malaysia Today
3 hours ago
- Free Malaysia Today
Malaysia's withdrawal from Cafa Nations Cup disrupts tournament plans
FAM said Harimau Malaya were pulling out of the Cafa Nations Cup 2025 following recent changes to the tournament schedule now falling slightly outside the official Fifa international window. (Bernama pic) PETALING JAYA : The Central Asian Football Association said the Football Association of Malaysia's decision to pull out of next month's Cafa Nations Cup 2025 has disrupted the tournament, particularly given the advanced stage of planning and preparations. Cafa said Malaysia's participation at the Aug 29-Sept 8 tournament in Tajikistan was confirmed well in advance, with FAM also fully aware of the tournament dates and schedule. 'Those dates have never been changed from the beginning,' it said in a statement. It said that while FAM was concerned about the restricted release of players from club duties as the competition does not fully fall within the Fifa international match calendar, the final registration of players, selected from a preliminary list of 35, can be submitted on a match-by-match basis. 'This allows for maximum flexibility, including the possibility of key players joining the team for subsequent matches,' it said. Earlier today, FAM said Harimau Malaya were pulling out of the Cafa Nations Cup following recent changes to the tournament schedule now falling slightly outside the official Fifa international window. It said this had brought about 'significant challenges' that affect player availability, logistics, and overall performance readiness. 'The latest tournament dates, which were updated after the official draw, now fall outside the official Fifa calendar. This means clubs are not obligated to release players. 'For Malaysia, with key players based in countries like Spain, Argentina, Colombia and Japan, this presents a major obstacle to assembling a full-strength squad,' FAM said. Malaysia were to open their Group B campaign against Tajikistan on Aug 29, followed by Iran on Sept 1, and Afghanistan on Sept 4, with all three matches taking place in Dushanbe. Group A will take place in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, featuring four other teams – hosts Uzbekistan, the Kyrgyz Republic, Turkmenistan and Oman. In a separate statement, Harimau Malaya coach Peter Cklamovski said getting the squad's foreign-based players to Tajikistan in time to perform at the level required was not realistic under the current window. 'Then there's the impact on logistics, recovery, and budget. I would never want to compromise our players' wellbeing or go into a tournament not at full-strength,' he said. 'Beyond player release challenges, the long-haul travel, compressed match schedule, and increased operational cost, especially under Fifa's 72-hour mandatory recovery rule, added further strain to our ability to compete with quality and consistency.' He said the national team will instead regroup for a full training camp in Kuala Lumpur in September which will serve as a key step in their preparation for the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers. Malaysia will continue their remaining 2027 Asian Cup Group F qualifiers against Laos in Vientiane on Oct 9 and Kuala Lumpur on Oct 14, before meeting Nepal in Kathmandu on Nov 18 and Vietnam away in March next year. Malaysia currently top the four-team Group F with three wins from as many matches.
New Straits Times
5 hours ago
- New Straits Times
CAFA fume as Harimau Malaya pull plug on Nations Cup plans
KUALA LUMPUR: The Central Asian Football Association (CAFA) has hit out at Malaysia's last-minute withdrawal from the CAFA Nations Cup. The FA of Malaysia (FAM) announced on Wednesday that Harimau Malaya would not be taking part in the tournament, citing scheduling issues as the competition falls outside FIFA's official international window. The timing means clubs are not obliged to release players, posing a major headache for the national team. But CAFA weren't impressed. In a strongly worded statement, the regional body said Malaysia had confirmed their participation well in advance and had been fully aware of the tournament dates - from Aug 29-Sept 8 - which have remained unchanged. "Unfortunately, this late withdrawal disrupts several organisational processes, especially as planning and preparations are already in their final stages," CAFA said in a social media post. "FAM stated their reason for pulling out was due to the tournament not being fully within the FIFA calendar, and therefore, player availability could be limited. "However, under the competition rules, final squads - selected from a 35-man list - can be submitted on a match-by-match basis. "This offers maximum flexibility, including the possibility of key players joining later in the tournament."
The Star
6 hours ago
- The Star
Central Asian Football Association expresses regret over Malaysia's late withdrawal from Nations Cup
PETALING JAYA: The Central Asian Football Association (CAFA) has expressed regret over Malaysia's late withdrawal from the Nations Cup, releasing an official statement clarifying key details surrounding the tournament's scheduling and format. The Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) had earlier announced their decision to pull out of the competition, citing player release challenges due to the event falling just outside the FIFA international match calendar. The national team, led by Australian coach Peter Cklamovski, pointed to issues involving player availability, especially those based in foreign leagues such as Spain, Argentina, Japan and Colombia. However, CAFA responded on Wednesday (July 16), saying the tournament dates had never been changed and had been communicated well in advance. "Malaysia's participation had been confirmed well in advance, with full awareness of the tournament dates (Aug 29-Sept 8), and those dates have never been changed from the beginning," CAFA stated. "Unfortunately, this late withdrawal has caused certain disruptions to the ongoing organisational processes, particularly given the advanced stage of planning and preparations." CAFA also addressed the concerns surrounding player availability, highlighting that flexibility in player registration was already built into the tournament regulations. "The final registration of players — selected from a preliminary list of 35 — can be submitted on a match-by-match basis. This allows for maximum flexibility, including the possibility of key players joining the team for subsequent matches." Despite the setback, CAFA reaffirmed their commitment to delivering a competitive and high-quality tournament, thanking participating nations for their cooperation. "We remain committed to delivering a high-quality and competitive tournament for the people of Central Asia and beyond."
