Return Merit Restore Malaysian Football

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The qualification of Uzbekistan, Jordan, Cape Verde, Curaçao, and Haiti for the 2026 Fifa World Cup has reshaped global football expectations and delivered a loud message to nations still struggling with direction and identity, including Malaysia.
Except for Haiti, making its second appearance after 1974, these nations are stepping onto the world stage for the first time in history.
Their achievement is not accidental, nor is it a miracle, but it is the product of years of systematic planning, investment in grassroots development, and football administration grounded in professionalism rather than political symbolism.
Watching these nations rise while Malaysia continues to stumble forces an uncomfortable but necessary reflection: how did a country that once dominated Southeast Asian football fall so far behind?
During the 1970s and early 1980s, Malaysia commanded respect on the Asian football scene. The names of legends such as Mokhtar Dahari, R Arumugam, Hassan Sani, Santokh Singh, Soh Chin Aun, Shukor Salleh, James Wong, and Gilbert Cassidy Gawing evoked national pride and represented a Malaysia where football transcended ethnicity, religion, and politics.
Mokhtar Dahari (left) and Soh Chin AunThe national team reflected Malaysian diversity, which is built on merit, not manipulated by socio-political considerations. That was the era when Malaysia qualified for the Moscow 1980 Olympics (even though geopolitical decisions prevented participation). Today, however, the national squad reflects not unity or identity, but inconsistency, confusion, and misplaced priorities.
The recent foreign player debacle involving the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) only worsened the perception of the national football ecosystem. Naturalisation is not inherently flawed, as many successful teams use it strategically. Japan, Qatar, Australia, and even European powerhouses such as France and Germany incorporate naturalised players.
But in those systems, naturalised athletes are additions to strong developmental structures, not replacements for what is missing. Malaysia approached naturalisation differently: as a shortcut rather than a complement.
Instead of nurturing young talent, improving coaching standards, strengthening the competitive structure of domestic leagues, or establishing proper scouting networks, we looked outward to patch internal weaknesses. That approach was destined to collapse because football excellence cannot be bought, but it must be built.
Coherent strategies
In contrast, the newly qualified nations followed coherent strategies. Uzbekistan and Jordan invested heavily in football academies, coaching certification systems, and league development. Their national teams are anchored by homegrown players shaped by clear football philosophies.
Cape Verde and Curaçao created systems to engage and integrate their diaspora talent not as a last-minute fix, but through structured long-term planning. Haiti, despite decades of political instability, built resilience through continuity and participation in international tournaments. Their success is tied to identity and system, not desperation.
Malaysia’s failures are not due to a lack of talent. There are talented footballers across the country, from rural pitches in Kedah and Sabah to urban futsal courts in Kuala Lumpur and Johor. The problem lies in a system where governance, coaching structure, youth development, and player pathways lack coherence.
Talent cannot thrive in a system where politics outweighs competence and where leadership is determined by loyalty rather than expertise. Sports administration in Malaysia is often treated as a ceremonial extension of political influence or public service patronage.
Football today is an industry - data-driven, science-infused, commercially structured, not a hobby or vanity project.
Face the truth
To move forward, Malaysia must confront several hard truths. First, football governance must be professionalised. Sports bodies should no longer be led by politicians, retired civil servants, or individuals with no technical knowledge of the sport.
Instead, the administration should involve former national players trained in sports management, technical directors, sports scientists, and professionally certified leadership teams. Competency, not connections, must determine who leads.
Second, grassroots football must become the centre of national football development. The ecosystem needs structured academies, talent scouting, partnerships with schools, competitive youth leagues, and coaching programmes aligned with international standards.
Until a child from any Malaysian town can access professional coaching and a clear talent pathway, the idea of producing world-stage footballers remains a fantasy.
Third, Malaysia must rediscover its football identity. The national team should once again represent the diversity of the country - just as it did during the golden era. Football cannot be constrained by race, religion, or cultural considerations.
Selections must be based purely on ability, performance, discipline, and potential. To rebuild identity, the sport must return to the values of unity and meritocracy.
Fourth, naturalisation must be reframed, not abandoned. If applied responsibly, long-term naturalised players can strengthen the squad, but they should be integrated only when they align with cultural identity, are willing to commit to Malaysia long-term, and contribute to raising the standards of local football, not merely filling gaps or chasing short-term results.
Finally, accountability must become non-negotiable. Every failed policy, every financial expenditure, every appointment, and every decision affecting the national team must be transparent and measurable. Without accountability, reform becomes rhetoric.
Turning point
The qualification of so many emerging football nations to the 2026 World Cup should inspire Malaysia, not demoralise it. Their success proves that football progress does not require wealth, historical supremacy, or large populations. It requires vision, structure, leadership, and unwavering commitment.
The current situation in Malaysian football is not just a crisis, but it is a turning point. The FAM controversy should serve as a national alarm bell, reminding us that shortcuts are not strategies and that pride cannot be restored through administrative convenience.
Malaysia can rise again. The talent exists. The passion exists. The history exists. What is missing is direction, courage, and the willingness to rebuild football from its foundations, not from its image.
If we return merit to the system, restore inclusivity, invest in youth, and embrace professionalism, Malaysia may once again earn the right to stand among Asia’s footballing nations - not through hope, but through work.
And perhaps one day, like Uzbekistan, Jordan, Curaçao, Cape Verde, and Haiti, Malaysia too will celebrate qualification not as memory, but as reality. - Mkini
R PANEIR SELVAM is the principal consultant of Arunachala Research and Consultancy Sdn Bhd (ARRESCON), a think tank specialising in strategic national and geopolitical matters.
The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of MMKtT

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