10 Feb

KEDAH coach Azraai Khor Abdullah had better expect the call for it, if it already hasn't, will surely come - the one offering him the job of national football coach. It shouldn't surprise him for it is only natural that the FA of Malaysia makes the offer to the most successful local coach in recent history. So successful that he guided Kedah to back-to-back trebles, raising his stock considerably, but the former national player has a crucial decision to make - to take the offer or say no. It is a job every local coach should aspire for but for the...

03:46 / Local / Sports
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06 Feb

SPORTS Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob is expected to face resistance but he is set to appoint former internationals into the several committees that are to be formed as part of the plan to save Malaysian football. Ismail Sabri has already informed the FA of Malaysia of his intention via the delegation led by deputy president Khairy Jamaluddin on Thursday. Some quarters are said to be unhappy with the move but Ismail Sabri has a word of consolation for them - he is aware that some former internationals may be in for personal gain. "I have identified a few areas...

09:12 / Local / Sports
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05 Feb

THE Sports Ministry will adopt the Young Tigers in an effort to relieve the Football Association of Malaysia of its financial obligations. The move will see FAM saving close to RM3 million annually which can be used in other areas. It is learnt that this exercise will go on for at least three years. "The Sports Ministry will take over the management of the Young Tigers from now on. We have a new management and coaching team to take care of the squad. With this move, FAM will just have to concentrate on the national team," said Sports Minister Ismail...

09:01 / Local / Sports
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04 Feb

SPORTS Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob will meet a delegation lead by FAM deputy president Khairy Jamaluddin today at the Sports Ministry in Putrajaya to thrash out the ills plaguing Malaysian football. It is learnt that FAM, among other things, will propose a structured development programme, request for a youth director, the Sports Ministry to absorb some of the national teams especially at the youth level, the usage of sports science experts, to base some youth players and teams in Europe and to revive the football academy. FAM will also be seeking a minimum of RM18 million a year to...

09:00 / Local / Sports
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04 Feb

THE decision by Asian Football Confederation (AFC) president Mohammed Hammam to relocate AFC House from Malaysia to another country is unwise and does not reflect the other members' stand, according to Federation of International Football Association (Fifa) vice-president Datuk Seri Dr Chung Mong-joon. Mong-joon, speaking on the matter for the first time since it was raised last September, said Mohammed should have considered the history and size of the Asian continent before making the announcement. A decision on the relocation will be made at the AFC Congress in November. "I wonder where he got the idea. Most of the time, Mohammed...

08:57 / Local / Sports
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03 Feb

THE FA of Malaysia claims the National Sports Council has only disbursed RM4 million of the RM12.5 million it was promised while the government agency claims about RM8 million has already been paid out. As the two sort out the issue, reliable sources confirm that coaches attached to the football academies have not been paid their wages in months. The wages are supposed to come from the RM12.5 million. "Some of us have not been paid for the last one year. We have been asked to be patient and we have continued doing our job but for how long are we...

07:42 / Local / Sports
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02 Feb

THE message was loud and clear - football has to go back to school, district leagues have to be revived and administrators should not meddle in technical matters. The FA of Malaysia should, even if it doesn't want to, listen for making the call were 72 former internationals. The one listening was Sports Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob and it will be interesting to see what transpires when he meets the FAM delegation tomorrow. It was only right that the legendary Datuk Abdul Ghani Minhat started the ball rolling. "Our players are no longer capable like before and we...

07:40 / Local / Sports
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01 Feb

The Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) today decided to terminate the contracts of national head coach B. Sathianathan and national team manager Datuk Soh Chin Aun. FAM deputy president Datuk Redzuan Tan Sri Sheikh Ahmad said the termination of Sathianathan and Chin Aun's contracts was to pave the way for new faces to head the national football team. "The FAM executive committee meeting chaired by FAM president Sultan Ahmad Shah were unanimous in their decision to terminate Sathianathan and Chin Aun's services. Sathianathan will be given a month's notice while Chin Aun's termination takes effect immediately," Redzuan told reporters at Wisma FAM...

07:35 / Local / Sports
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31 Jan

TOMORROW'S FA of Malaysia (FAM) exco meeting should, based on president Sultan Ahmad Shah's promise last week, result in some drastic decisions. The unfit national team's 5-0 loss to the United Arab Emirates in an Asian Cup qualifier two weeks was the last straw for Sultan Ahmad Shah and fed-up of being taken advantage of, he promised that he would speak his mind from now on. Such is the anger with local football that many have even called for Sultan Ahmad Shah, at the helm for 25 years now, to step down. While that may satisfy some, Sultan Ahmad Shah's departure...

04:22 / Local / Sports
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24 Jan

DON'T just blame us is the cry from several national players in the aftermath of the 5-0 thrashing by the United Arab Emirates in an Asian Cup qualifier on Wednesday. The system, said the players, is equally to blame as they are all products of a league that is simply not competitive enough to produce a strong national team. "We must first accept that the Malaysian Super League (MSL) is not as competitive as the Japan or Korean leagues," said national skipper Shukor Adan yesterday. "We lost to UAE, who have played in the World Cup before. What have we...

04:19 / Local / Sports
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