KUALA LUMPUR – The football fraternity is in a state of shock with the Malaysian Football League’s (MFL) decision to cancel this year’s edition of the TM Malaysia Cup.
The decision was reached in a special meeting of MFL Board Members after the appeal to continue the tournament was rejected by the National Security Council (NSC) yesterday.
MFL chief executive officer Datuk ‘Ab Ghani Hassan said that it was a difficult decision to make but it had to be done because the Malaysia Cup cannot be postponed to another month as players’ contracts end on November 30.
“Of course, in our appeal letter to NSC, MFL prepared a thorough plan in line with the Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) guide to ensure that the Malaysia Cup, which still has seven matches left, can continue but at the same time, we need to be sensitive towards the recommendations by the Government on health and safety of the players and everyone involved”.
Ghani also added that he would like to thank the Government for allowing the CIMB Super League and Premier League to be completed in the midst of the crisis.
“MFL would like to thank the sponsors, namely Telekom Malaysia (TM), CIMB, AirAsia, Nike and F&N 100Plus who always supported us during difficult times,” he said.
Meanwhile, Ghani said that MFL had initially prepared a back up plan, with a special mechanism in the event the tournament was allowed, similar to a suggestion by The Vibes.
#SaveMalaysiaCup article yesterday.
“I read the article this morning and it was a similar plan that we suggested to the NSC,” Ghani said when contacted.
In a similar development, Ghani confirmed that Terengganu FC (TFC), which finished third in the CIMB Super League, won the AFC 2021 Cup slot immediately after the cancellation of the Malaysia Cup.
However, a former football coach who asked for anonymity, said the cancellation of the Malaysia Cup will have a disastrous impact on Malaysian football, the players and everyone involved in the game.
“Football is an industry and that is what the Government fails to understand,” he told The Vibes.
He added that now, MFL should be worried about the sponsors because there could be repercussions from this decision.
“Sponsors will get fed up because they have invested so much money into the game only for it to be postponed or cancelled. It does not look good for next season.”
At the same time, he questioned the Government, asking them to inject the cash into the M-League next season if the sponsors decide to reduce or terminate their partnership with the MFL.
“Well, the Government should be ready to help the league and the other football tournaments if it goes down to that (sponsors pulling out).
“It is also uncertain now if the new season will start in February, since the Government does not have a proper plan on how to resume football and at the same time taking care of the well-being of the players and everyone involved in it,” he said.
Football tournaments and championships have resumed in Europe, China, South Korea, Japan and even in Thailand with tight SOPs in place. – The Vibes, November 12, 2020.
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