Azraai Khor Abdullah and Shebby Singh have both voiced their opinions on FAM’s decision to dissolve the Harimau Muda team, claiming that it’s a step in the right direction, as far as Malaysian football is concerned.
The decision was announced on Tuesday night, and it has generated positive response from various stakeholders, including the fans. While Azraai believes that youth development in Malaysia, isn’t at an optimum level, he conceded that the Harimau Muda concept hasn’t been too effective.
“I think FAM will still need to have a plan to move forward. It would be unwise for them to disband the Harimau Muda team, without having other alternatives,” he told Harian Metro.
“Playing abroad [Slovakia & Australia] wasn’t too effective and worth the cost, because our achievements were rather inconsistent. Sending players to the Singaporean league didn’t work too well either,” he added.
Shebby Singh also applauded FAM’s decision to disband the team and believes that it’s far more important for young talents to compete within the domestic leagues.
“It’s important for young players play in the domestic leagues. It’s for exposure and it’s crucial for their own development as well,” Shebby said.
“In Germany, there are plenty of 18, 19, 20 year-olds who are already playing regularly for their teams at the highest level. That’s precisely why our players need to expose themselves to a bigger number of competitive games,” he added.
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