How much lower FAM?

Jason Chin

Malaysia should withdraw from the World Cup qualifications if possible to save the country from further embarrassment. Losing 10-0 to United Arab Emirates in the AFC World Cup qualifier is completely unacceptable. It is difficult to even obtain that scoreline on a computer game yet somehow our home grown boys made that task a simple one.

How much lower does the FAM proudly led by Crown Prince of Pahang Tengku Abdullah intend to go? Conceding 16 goals in two matches, scoring none and sitting at the bottom of the group (even below Timor-Leste) is something disgraceful. Tengku Abdullah has to realise that this is an international arena and not something local, where things can be manipulated in order to look good. Internationally, only quality works and the Malaysian way of doing things ain’t going to yield any results.

Since Tengku Abdullah keeps showing us how big a flop he is in FAM, why can’t he vacate the seat and give an opportunity to the Crown Prince of Johor to walk the talk? We Malaysians have had enough of him. Millions if not billions are spent on soccer and this is the outcome? Might as well cut all funding to soccer and channel it to other sports. At this rate, other sports have a better chance for success than soccer.

I urge the Youth & Sports Minister KhairyJamaluddin to step in and do something. We cannot go on like this. If the senior team is going to be comprehensively beaten by badminton-like scores, we might as well send the junior squad to represent the country. Although they might get hammered too, at least they will gain invaluable experience on the international front in order to prepare them for the future. The current bunch of players does not deserve to wear the national jersey.

For the first time after so many years, a senior editor of ESPN FC took some time to write an article on the nation’s dismal performance and outlined several factors that may be key for change. Looks like Malaysia currently is gaining international recognitions for all the wrong things. Nothing seems to be heading in the right direction for this country. We have become nothing short of a laughing stock in all aspects – politics, corruption, abuse of power, favouritism, and now sports. Very soon, we are going to be cited as an example all over the globe on ‘How a country should not be run’.

Just because one is a successful athlete during his time it does not necessarily mean he will be the best of coaches. Sir Alex Ferguson, Arsene Wenger and Jose Mourinho were never superstar players. When will our Prince of Pahang realise this? Somebody should hand him a book of ‘Football facts for dummies’ for him to understand something about the sport.

Sometimes I thank God this country has people like the Tunku Mahkota Johor, Tunku Ismail to openly use words like ‘bodoh sombong’ and not be lamented ‘murka’ or ‘derhaka’. It takes a Royalty to challenge another.

It is high time Tengku Abdullah leaves FAM. He should take up a post in a sport that is insignificant to this country. That way, he can do no more harm to the reputation of this country. While Khairy intends to propagate Malaysia as a sports nation, the Prince of Pahang seems interested in procuring the image of a sports nation for trashing.

TMJ says it best…. “Enough is enough!”