Latest news with #MFL
The Star
4 days ago
- Business
- The Star
Clubs hope more locals will claim starting spots after reduction in imports
PETALING JAYA: Super League clubs consider the Malaysian Football League's (MFL) decision to reduce the number of foreign players on the field as a golden opportunity for local players to claim starting spots. In the recent Board of Directors (BoD) meeting, MFL decided to amend the 2025-2026 Malaysia League manual, reducing the number of foreign players allowed on the field to six - down from the previously announced seven. According to the latest amendments, the new foreign player quota of six will consist of four open slots together with one Asian and one South-East Asian, and three foreigners on the bench.. For Negri Sembilan chief executive officer Faliq Firdaus, the decision is a strategic move to strike a balance between maintaining the league's competitiveness and creating greater space for the development of local talent. However, he stressed that local players given this chance should not merely be space-fillers. They must prove their quality on the pitch to make the most of the opportunity that comes with this reduction in foreign player slots. 'With six foreign players allowed on the field, the main challenge is ensuring local players don't just become quota fillers. They need to compete on merit and be placed in a technical environment that is educational and challenging,' he said. 'Without serious investment in local player development, reducing one foreign slot won't have a significant impact. 'At Negri, we're committed to giving opportunities to local players who demonstrate a competitive mentality. We don't want them in the starting eleven just because there's space. We want them there because they've earned it.'' Terengganu interim chief executive officer Shahrizan Mohd Zain echoed the same sentiment, saying the revised rule aligns with the club's plans to promote local players, especially the younger ones. 'Naturally, with fewer foreign players, there's a bonus for local players to grab the opportunity to be in the starting eleven. Our planning has been smooth so far to ensure a good balance between imports and locals moving forward,' he said. 'So far, we've announced four new imports – Junior Ngong Sam (Cameroon), Yan Mabella (France), Gabriel Costa (Brazil), and Raianderson da Costa (Brazil), and we've retained Nurillo Tukhtasinov (Uzbekistan). One more will be added soon, bringing our total to six imports.'
New Straits Times
4 days ago
- Sport
- New Straits Times
Football fraternity questions MFL over Kelantan Darul Naim exemption
KUALA LUMPUR: Why is Kelantan Darul Naim still in the Super League despite flouting club licensing rules? Kelantan Darul Naim's green light to compete in next season's Super League has sparked outrage, with critics accusing the Malaysia Football League (MFL) of undermining its own standards, particularly the requirement for clubs to run youth development teams. Dr Faithal Hassan, Deputy Dean at Universiti Malaya's Faculty of Sports and Exercise Science, warned the decision could set a dangerous precedent and weaken the long-term health of Malaysian football. "It's unfair to the clubs that have complied fully with the licensing rules and invested heavily in youth development," he said. "These regulations are meant to ensure continuity and sustainability. Granting exemptions just to make up the numbers defeats the purpose, especially when youth setups require time, effort and significant resources." According to the 2023 MFL Club Licensing Regulations, clubs must operate at least four youth squads, including a mandatory Under-17 and Under-10, with at least three more between the Under-18 and Under-23 range. These teams must compete in recognised tournaments endorsed by FAM or MFL. Yet Kelantan Darul Naim, the only team in next season's 13-club Super League without any Youth or President's Cup side, were still awarded a licence. Newcomers Immigration FC also lack youth teams but, like Melaka FC, who both played in the A1 League last year, have been granted a transitional year. Melaka, however, have already met the youth team criteria by registering sides in FAM competitions. Kelantan, critics argue, no longer meet the basic requirements after restructuring their setup, yet MFL still gave them the green light, a move many see as a step backwards. "There's a serious flaw when exemptions are handed out selectively," said Faithal. "If some clubs can skip youth development while others invest heavily, it creates an uneven playing field. Worse still, it could deter clubs from prioritising grassroots development, which is vital for the national pipeline." Faithal also dismissed MFL's justification that Kelantan met the youth requirement last season as flawed. "The Super League is not a 'practice ground'. Any club entering must be fully ready. Otherwise, we'll continue facing the same old issues — salary arrears, mismanagement and club withdrawals," he said. In response, the MFL stated that Kelantan's licence was granted based on their compliance in the previous cycle. "Last season, they had youth squads, so their application was in order," MFL said. But that explanation has failed to appease many within the football fraternity, who say consistent and transparent enforcement is crucial to restoring faith in the league. Faithal also criticised the lack of transparency in how rules are enforced. "Every year, the regulations change or are applied differently often to suit certain teams. This selective flexibility is hurting the league's credibility," he said. "The only way forward is to publish the licensing regulations in full and enforce them across the board." He added that unresolved salary issues, the over-reliance on naturalised players and the dwindling number of teams in the top flight paint a worrying picture.
New Straits Times
5 days ago
- Sport
- New Straits Times
MFL's foreign player tweak benefits the rich in the Super League
KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysian Football League's (MFL) recent adjustment to its foreign player quota has sparked discussion among football observers, with some suggesting that the timing and structure of the change may benefit certain teams more than others. Football critic Datuk Dr Pekan Ramli said the decision to reduce the number of foreign players allowed in the starting XI from seven to six, while maintaining the registration cap at 15, deserves closer scrutiny. "This isn't just about numbers, it's also about planning," said Pekan. "Removing the second Asean player from the on-field quota appears neutral, but it may shift the balance in subtle ways that favour certain teams." Under the revised rule, teams may still register 15 foreign players, but only six can be fielded at once — comprising four open-quota imports, one from Asia and one from Asean. The main change is the reduction of Asean players on the pitch from two to one. While the revision appears modest on paper, Pekan believes it may unintentionally favour clubs with deeper resources and a stronger foreign player base. "Some teams already have heritage or naturalised players who play key roles. In such situations, there may be little incentive to field Asean imports who are of similar quality to local players," he explained. He also noted that some fans have questioned the timing of the rule change, which comes just over three weeks before the M-League kicks off on Aug 8. "Although MFL has provided its reasons, changes this close to the season can affect club planning. Not all teams have the flexibility to adapt quickly in terms of squad depth or tactics," he said. "This could impact player confidence, team chemistry, and overall preparedness." Pekan further pointed out that the aim of creating more space for local-born players might not materialise, since naturalised players are already classified as locals under the rules. "Removing one Asean slot doesn't necessarily mean more Malaysian-born players will get minutes. In many cases, those positions could go to naturalised players, who are still imports in nature — just not on paper." He also observed that Asean players, while comparable in quality to Malaysian players, play an important role in balancing squads for clubs with limited resources. "For smaller teams, the removal of that extra Asean slot could represent a lost opportunity to maintain squad balance. Stronger clubs may now bring in higher-quality imports instead." On a positive note, Pekan welcomed MFL's decision to release a full season's calendar ahead of time — a move aimed at improving planning and transparency. However, he also urged the league to be mindful of how timing and communication around regulatory changes affect clubs and stakeholders.
New Straits Times
6 days ago
- Sport
- New Straits Times
Super League clubs support move to boost local player game time
KUALA LUMPUR: Super League clubs have backed the Malaysian Football League's (MFL) move to reduce the number of foreign players allowed in the starting XI from seven to six for the 2025-2026 season — a decision aimed at giving local players more game time. Despite the change, clubs can still register nine foreign players per match, with three allowed on the bench. The new composition includes four open quota players, one Asian, and one Asean, while three additional imports can now sit on the bench, compared to just two Asean previously. Negri Sembilan CEO Faliq Firdaus welcomed the move but warned that clubs must ensure local players earn their places. "They need to compete on merit and be in a technical environment that educates and challenges them," he said. "If it's not supported by serious investment in local player development, reducing the foreign slot will have little impact. "At Negri, we trust in local players with a competitive mentality. We don't want them in the starting XI just because there's space, but because they deserve it. Real balance begins when locals can replace imports, not just fill spots. "That said, we welcome this amendment. It gives locals more chances for match minutes and top-level exposure. "MFL is also clearly aware of regional developments, where many leagues are adjusting their foreign quotas. This shows the decision was made to keep the Super League competitive in Asia." Terengganu team manager Shahrizan Zain echoed the sentiment, saying the new rule fits with the club's plans to promote domestic and youth talent. "When the number of imports is reduced, it's a bonus for local players to grab a place in the first XI," he said. "Our planning has gone smoothly to ensure a proper balance between local and foreign players going forward." Terengganu have signed six imports so far — Junior Ngong Sam (Cameroon), Yan Mabella (France), Gabriel Costa and Careca (both Brazil), and Nurillo Tukhtasinov (Uzbekistan), with one more expected to be confirmed soon. In a statement on Wednesday, the MFL said the move was aimed at creating a better balance between local and foreign talent in matchday line-ups. While acknowledging the value of imports in boosting the league's competitiveness and appeal, the MFL stressed that developing local players remains a key priority in support of the FA of Malaysia's (FAM) goal to strengthen the national team. The foreign player registration cap remains at 15 per team, although clubs are not required to fill the full quota. The MFL also reminded teams to comply with the Financial Fair Play (FFP) framework, which includes a salary cap limiting spending on player wages to 80 per cent of total expenditure.
Malay Mail
6 days ago
- Business
- Malay Mail
MFL cuts foreign player quota to six for 2025–2026 M-League season, cites need to develop local talent
KUALA LUMPUR, July 10 — The Malaysian Football League (MFL) yesterday announced an amendment to the foreign player ruling for the Malaysia League (M-League) 2025–2026 season, reducing the number of foreign players allowed on the pitch to six, from the previously announced seven. The decision was made following the 14th MFL Board of Directors (BOD) Meeting for the 2021–2025 term, taking into consideration the impact on the league and the development of local players. In a statement, MFL said the revised foreign player quota will now be 6+3 (substitutes), with a composition of 4 World + 1 Asia + 1 ASEAN players, compared to the previous 7+2 (substitutes) of 4 World + 1 Asia + 2 ASEAN. 'The decision to reduce one foreign player on the pitch is seen as a step towards balancing local and foreign players in the starting eleven on matchday. 'MFL believes that while foreign players add appeal and competitiveness to the league, developing local talent remains a core agenda to support the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) in strengthening the Harimau Malaya squad,' the statement added. MFL said the decision also followed feedback from clubs, many of whom felt that additional ASEAN players had little impact on team performance. However, the total number of foreign players a club can register remains at 15. 'Clubs are not obligated to fill the foreign quota, as it depends on their specific needs and financial capacity. 'This is in line with the monitoring of club spending under the Financial Fair Play (FFP) framework, which will enforce a salary cap mechanism limiting player wages to 80 per cent of each club's budget,' it said. In another development, MFL announced the M-League 2025–2026 calendar, with the season kicking off on Aug 8 with the Charity Shield match between Johor Darul Ta'zim (JDT) and Selangor FC at the Sultan Ibrahim Stadium — which also doubles as the Super League's opening match. According to MFL, the Super League season is expected to end on May 16, 2026 — a 10-month run compared to the 14-month transitional season previously. 'The FA Cup is scheduled to begin on August 15, 2025, with the final set for December 14, 2025. 'The prestigious Malaysia Cup will kick off on January 17, 2026, with the final slated for May 23, 2026,' it added. Meanwhile, the MFL Challenge Cup will begin on February 6, 2026, with the two-legged final matches scheduled for April 4 and April 18, 2026. 'This season, MFL has released the full-season calendar at once, unlike last season's phased announcement. However, adjustments may still be needed due to the AFC's upcoming draw for the AFC Champions League Elite (ACLE) and AFC Champions League 2 (ACL2) on August 15, involving JDT and Selangor FC. 'In addition, both clubs will also participate in the ASEAN Club Championship, with the complete match schedule only released yesterday by the AFF, which has delayed MFL's ability to finalise the M-League calendar earlier for clubs and supporters,' it said. — AFP
