KUALA LUMPUR − Young Malaysian footballers must be given sufficient playing time at the domestic level to ensure the country will be able to give a good fight instead of just making up the numbers in the 2022 Asian Cup Under-23 Finals.
Former Malaysian Football Association (FAM) technical director Datuk Ong Kim Swee said playing time was crucial in the preparation of young players, especially those in the national Under-22 squad, who will face an acid test in the Finals in Uzbekistan.
Citing Asian giants like South Korea, Australia and Japan, the Sabah FC coach said many of their players featured in their respective countries’ main leagues while some even plied their trade overseas to gain exposure and experience.
“Although their (national teams’) preparations may be short, the exposure they gained by playing week in and week out gives them an advantage and the situation is the same with our players.
“I hope these (national Under-22) players can play every week. Especially, if they can play in the early parts of the league next season (where) they can play every week, it will help them − in terms of intensity and self-preparation − before heading to international meets,” he told Bernama.
Ong, who used to coach the national Under-22 squad, admitted that the trust factor was the main challenge of team coaches when it came to fielding young or new players in major competitions.
However, the Melaka-born coach stressed that the main elements required by every young player in wanting to achieve maturity in their game was opportunity and exposure.
“If opportunity and exposure are not forthcoming, we will see that their development will be stunted. Although we have a lot of talented players, if they do not play competitively, it will slow down their maturity process,” said the 50-year-old coach.
The national Under-22 squad under coach Brad Maloney have automatically qualified for the fifth edition of the 2022 Asian Cup Under-23 Finals after topping Group J in the qualifying round in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, recently by defeating Laos and the host nation with identical 1-0 scores before drawing 0-0 with Thailand.
This is only the second time the Young Tigers have qualified for the Finals of the competition since it began in 2014.
For the record, Ong’s Under-22 squad made history when they qualified for the Finals of the 2018 edition in China, where they made the knockout rounds by finishing as group runners-up before falling to 2-1 to South Korea in the quarter-finals.
However, Malaysia failed to qualify for the Finals of the 2020 edition after finishing second in the qualifying round and missing out on being among the best five second-placed teams.
However, Ong enjoyed a string of successes during his time handling the youth squad, including when coaching the Harimau Muda and Under-22 teams, apart from being responsible for grooming teenagers, who have since made the national senior squad.
Among his list of successes when handling the national team included the 2007 Youth Cup, 2009 Premier League champions, 2011 SEA Games gold medal and 2013 Merdeka Tournament champions. – Bernama, November 3, 2021
