Harimau Malaya's 'haywire' management
This was stated by football legend Datuk Jamal Nasir following Malaysia's eyebrow-raising pullout from the Nations Cup.
Jamal expressed his concern over the way Harimau Malaya is being managed.
He described the current structure as uncoordinated and overly reliant on individuals instead of a unified system.
There has been backlash from fans after head coach Peter Cklamovski — instead of the national team CEO, Rob.
Friend or deputy CEO Stanley Bernard — announced Malaysia's withdrawal.
"Harimau Malaya are 'so-called' privatised and managed by certain individuals. So if the structure is haywire, it's not about FAM, but within Harimau Malaya itself," he said.
"Why doesn't the CEO speak? Why always the head coach? Perhaps something is going on in management that we don't understand."
Jamal said a proper national team setup should not be thrown into disarray just because a few key players (Rodrigo Holgado, Imanol Machuca, Facundo Garces and Gabriel Palmero) were unavailable.
"Why must we focus on just three or four unavailable players?
"Whether the tournament is inside or outside the FIFA calendar shouldn't be the issue.
"Unless we don't have a team at all, this shouldn't be a problem," he said.
Jamal feels that Malaysia's dependency on naturalised players is making the team fragile and unsustainable in the long run.
"We can't just rely on naturalised or heritage players all the time, they have their commitments too," he said.
"We need to believe in the other players. When certain players can't come, we collapse.
"It shows a lack of trust in the rest of the squad."
He viewed the Nations Cup as an ideal platform to build the Malaysia squad, especially against quality opponents like Iran, Tajikistan and Afghanistan, and prepare for the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers.
"We need to be brave. Don't be scared to lose. This is the time to see our strengths and test ourselves competitively."
Jamal questioned the decision-making on the withdrawal and the handling of the affair.
"When the invitation came, you need to sit down and plan properly, whether you can play or not, whether your players can be released or not," he said.
"Only when that's confirmed, then send the letter of confirmation to CAFA.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New Straits Times
7 hours ago
- New Straits Times
Gavin Lee begins Lions reign with Harimau Malaya clash
KUALA LUMPUR: The Causeway derby will mark Gavin Lee's first match in charge of Singapore's national football team. The Lions will meet Malaysia in an international friendly at the National Stadium in Bukit Jalil on Sept 4. Both Harimau Malaya and the Lions will use the match as part of their preparations for the Asian Cup qualifiers. The 34-year-old Gavin, who was appointed interim head coach by the FA of Singapore last month, had reportedly said that the clash will be more than just a regional derby. "This match is a valuable opportunity to prepare ourselves for the Asian Cup double header against India in October," said Gavin, whose side currently top Group C of the qualifiers after a 2-1 win over Bangladesh in June. "Malaysia will be a tough opponent in front of their home fans, and that's exactly the kind of test we need as we shape up for the Asian Cup qualifying matches," said Gavin. This will be Singapore's first visit to Bukit Jalil since the 2024 Asean Cup, where they held Malaysia to a goalless draw.
New Straits Times
2 days ago
- New Straits Times
Josue admits he was surprised by Malaysia's withdrawal
KUALA LUMPUR: National player Paulo Josue has admitted he was surprised by Malaysia's withdrawal from the Central Asian Football Association (Cafa) Nations Cup. The 36-year-old Brazil-born Josue felt the Nations Cup would have provided valuable experience for Malaysia's players as the tournament features strong teams like Iran and Uzbekistan. KL City midfielder Josue has earned 26 caps and scored nine goals since his Malaysia debut in March 2023. However, he believes that the replacement matches for Malaysia following the Nations Cup withdrawal, are still worthwhile. Harimau Malaya will play friendlies against Palestine and Singapore in September in Kuala Lumpur. "It's Fifa days, so we need to play with someone. I think Singapore has a strong team. Palestine is also a top country. It's interesting for us to play them and to keep testing ourselves," said Josue.
New Straits Times
4 days ago
- New Straits Times
Knee issue continues to haunt Shah as worlds loom on the horizon
KUALA LUMPUR: National track cyclist Shah Firdaus Sahrom has yet to fully recover from a stubborn knee tendonitis issue which has been bothering him since early February. National track cycling team head coach Harnizam Basri said Shah has made good progress after undergoing daily physiotherapy sessions over the past few months but has yet to fully overcome the injury. "It is taking a long time (to heal) and it is incredibly frustrating for Shah. He is, however, doing his best to remain positive and continues to work on it," said Harnizam when contacted today (July 30). "He is working on strengthening his (right) knee by doing specific exercises under the supervision of our physiotherapist. "I would say he is about 90 per cent recovered now. The issue now is that he feels discomfort and a loss of power when his leg and knee are bent between 77 to 90 degrees. "He is fine if he is pedalling in a seated position but it affects him when he is doing out-of-seat efforts during sprints, which is not ideal for a rider like him. "I expect him to be able to compete at the World Championships later this year, the challenge is to get him in the best condition possible." Shah is expected to compete alongside younger brother Ridwan or Fadhil Zonis for Malaysia in the keirin at the World Championships in Santiago, Chile on Oct 22-26. Harnizam confirmed that Shah will not be fielded at the Thailand Track Cup next month (Aug 25) as he does not want to risk Shah aggravating the injury or, even worse, crashing. Shah, 29, had picked up the injury during a strength training session in early February. He, however, fought through the pain to race at the UCI Nations Cup in Konya, Turkiye a month later and won the keirin gold. It was his first gold individual medal in a major international competition.
