I was browsing some of my must read blog when I came to an article written by JMD on Khairy which one of the comments received touched on his success (KJ’s of course) on bringing up Malaysian Football from FIFA ranking of 172 to 160 written by Sultan Mahmood. Although I’m not fond of local football scene, but the national team’s progress has been as important as I supported good football games, which in a way, with Sultan Mahmood’s comment ‘urges’ me to look in a different perspective other than politics rhetorics – Football point of view, of course.
Way back before KJ appointed as Vice President of FAM on 9th September 2007, he, with his team created MyTeam which introduce Malaysian to a new hope to Malaysian football scene. For two seasons since 2006, MyTeam was formed and played against Malaysian and Indonesian Team, which eventually, they lost to the both national team. Adding up the sweet success, MyTeam entered into Malaysian Premier League (merging with Perak UPB FC). Only that, please notice, though they perform well, majority of the players selected during reality show MyTeam, weren’t there to play with UPB-MyTeam FC. Perhaps, maybe that’s why there is no MyTeam Season 3. A football rhetoric?
With a good track record of MyTeam, KJ was seen as a beacon of hope for Malaysian Football. And maybe that’s why he won the Vice Presidential of FAM uncontested and officially being part of FAM management on 9th September 2007. Officially, he started his duty on this date as FAM VP and in a way, based on my understanding with Sultan Mahmood’s comments, KJ is entitled on success and failures of Malaysian football.
Ok, now. Let us see what the FIFA rankings says. For a fair comparison (‘fair’ in the sense of same region of football), I’ve chosen 3 neighbouring countries – Singapore, Thailand and Indonesia. Here are the results of the 4 nations’ rankings since KJ appointed as VP of FAM (more or less on the time frame) –
Malaysian Football rose a little bit after a small hickup after KJ’s appointment. Ok, fair, he just joined the FAM management. However, please notice that Malaysia’s rankings falls from 159 in FIFA’s rankings until somewhere in April 2008 (170 in FIFA rankings), where Malaysia’s ranking started to go up again. From my simple calculation, if Malaysia was at 159 during his tenure as FAM VP, and as at October we are at 160, is this consider a success? Going up and down, moving all around, we declined one place since his appointment. A success? It’s not from my point of view.
Let us recap on what happened to Malaysian team during the Pestabola Merdeka 2008, where we lost to Viatnamese in the finals through sudden death of spot kicks. Malaysia did perform well during the tourney with bagging lots of goals, 18 goals without conceeding any. A good achievement.
However, using FIFA rankings comparison once more, let us see the rankings of 4 teams qualified for the semi finals of Pestabola Merdeka – Malaysia, Myanmar, Vietnam and Sierra Leone.
Except for Sierra Leone, the other teams played were below of Malaysia’s rankings. A success on getting into the finals? Yes. Success on quality wise?
In other words, in my opinion, KJ’s involvement in Football of Malaysia isn’t a success for us. We did fall and we did rise, but as I stated earlier, still not enough during his tenureship as FAM VP. In other words, Sultan Mahmood’s comment on KJ’s success on Malaysia Football scene is considered a politic rhetoric.
But please. I’m not saying that Malaysian football cannot be improved. Yes, we can but with an overhaul from every aspects of football criteria.
Just to add up before I rest my case, Shebby (who helps to pick, choose and develop MyTeam) is not the person who can change our football scene. With his quality, even TM Melaka under his temporary coaching could not match Perlis. He may be one of the good footballers we had, but certainly not the best coach for even a club level.
Words on the street – is Malaysian Football a success for KJ?
On Da Street 
KJ’s appointment in sept 2007 as DP was a formality as he was the only one doing anything with the sport. Reading MyTeam’s website, the philosophy of football is development at grassroots level. This is where the problem lies at State level, where micro development does not exists accept for Kedah and Selangor.
The sad state of the game also discourages sponsors from coming in. Also EPL has taken over the younger generations football support. In my view, football is a basket case, and KJ for whatever reason he got into FAM, certainly got himself into swamp of problems. Im not sure he will ever perform in FAM as long as the Sultan of Pahang is there, even if Michel Platini (UEFA President) appointed DP also FAM can never fly. If u ask me, KJ going into Malaysian football is political suicide but i guess its either denial or gung ho-ness. We will see come AFF Suzuki Cup whether the National team performs in December. If you ask me, KJ shlda stuck to doing MyTeam 3 concept. a least there is some exitement in local football.
ODS: So, now, are you saying it isn’t a success for KJ? He will not be able to guide Malaysia to success if Sultan Pahang is still at helm? Then, your comment in regards with KJ’s success in bringing up Malaysian football is not true.
His move to FAM, might be ok. However, if he is not passionate enough and can’t do well (as you said as long Sultan Pahang is there), might as well he leave it to someone who can do the job. Please, enough with mumbo jumbo in Malaysian Politics, don’t let other Malaysian matters being ‘rojak’ also.
Please, being a true leader, (and also good follower), we cannot just claim victory, but also admit our mistakes and improve from time to time. By just acknowledging to just victories, which such given by your comments in JMD, (which is then found out not viable enough to consider part of his ‘success’), you certainly just playing without cold hard facts (or, mistakenly just taken just partly of the facts)
Football in Malaysia can be improve in terms of popularity and skills.
One way is by finding sponsor like what Wigan Athletic F.C. doing. Their team is sponsored by 12Bet.com so they got enough of fund to continue their training
Its moved to 150 now on the FIFA Ranking, so it dispels ur argument.
ODS: Haha. As expected reply/comments received whenever Malaysia rankings going up.
My Dear Son of Sons,
As I argued earlier, is it fair for us to conclude or assumed that whenever Malaysia fails, we put the blame on Sultan Pahang, and for every little success, we credit it to KJ?
Please remember, that Malaysia was ranked at 75 in 1993, when Sultan Pahang still at helm as President of FAM (He has been there for 24 years already?). So, how fair is it to judge that credit should go to KJ? Shouldn’t the credit to be given to the head coach of Malaysia? (likewise when Datuk Lee Chong Wei won silver medal in the Olympics, Misbun also being credited for his player’s success?)
Besides, I can’t see any development to our football scenario. State FAs still depending to FAM financially, quality of play still below par, stadiums still nearly empty for matches, and the matches we played against with teams ranks not far off than us.
I’m not being skeptical to our national team. I wish we will be better, but the ranks risen up to 150, after considering we are second place in OUR OWN tournament at OUR OWN homeground, lost to Viatnamese which their rank is lower than us, with teams participating in the Pestabola Merdeka were not better ranking than us except for Sierra Leone, is not convincing enough.
Perhaps with KJ’s arrangement playing weaker teams will certainly push up our rankings, but how far we can go? We are still struggling to compete with our neighbouring countries. Maybe unfair for Singaporean to offer citizenship to some of the foreign players, but hey, how about Thais and Indons? They are still above our rankings and this should not be something we should proud of.
Kindly check the rankings of the teams participated in Pestabola Merdeka and how they fair. We rise in ranks due to win against weaker teams, except for Sierra Leone. Something that we should proud of?
After reading comments from Sukj stating KJ is not VP, he is right. KJ even HIGHER than that. He is the Deputy President of FAM.
ODS stands corrected and apologises for misleading information. However, since he is the Deputy President, he holds even higher responsibilties in upholding national pride in world of football.