3 hours Ago By Farah Azharie
KUALA LUMPUR: Football critic Azlan Johar has launched a scathing attack on the stagnation of local talent in Malaysian football — insisting it's time to admit that naturalised players may be the nation's best bet for success.Azlan said Malaysia's heavy reliance on homegrown talent over the past two decades has produced little progress — with the same old problems surfacing year after year."We've given local players more than enough time to prove themselves — since the start of the professional era, that's 20 to 25 years.
And even then, they haven't shown they're good enough to take us far," he said."Just look at last year's Asian Cup — it was the naturalised and heritage players who helped us qualify. If we'd relied solely on locals, we probably wouldn't even have made it to the second round.
"Azlan, a former national footballer, admitted that the influx of foreign-born and mixed-heritage players had reduced opportunities for local talent.But he insisted the lack of playing time wasn't the only reason behind their failure to deliver."People say local players don't get enough minutes.
But when they do get the chance, they still fail to perform," he said."We are still way behind when it comes to basic football intelligence, and it shows on the international stage."Some of them may look good at domestic level, but when it comes to international football, they struggle.
Why? Because the standard of training at state level just isn't good enough."Azlan also warned against the internal politics plaguing Malaysian football development — urging for greater trust and continuity for local coaches and managers, including those at the Mokhtar Dahari Academy (AMD)."We've got good people running AMD — but when outsiders come in, some want to sideline others because of personal agendas.
That shouldn't happen," he said."If someone has the talent, they should be given the chance, not sidelined because of office politics."Azlan's comments come amid growing interest in yet another heritage prospect — England-born Anuar Ceesay, 21, who arrived in Malaysia recently.
Ceesay, who plays for Leatherhead in the English non-league Division One, is of English-Gambian descent and is rumoured to have Malaysian heritage through family ties.His arrival has sparked speculation that he may be the next player to join the national set-up.© New Straits Times Press (M) Bhd.
