Javier Ribera (left) Scott O'Donnell (right). - FAM
PETALING JAYA: Organising national football leagues for youth Under-16 will help them prepare better for international tournaments, says Scott O’Donell.
The Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) technical director O’ Donell believes the lack of competition for young players makes it difficult to identify talent.
He is proposing for national-level leagues for rising players.
“One of the future plans is to have national Under-15 or Under-16 leagues to ensure that we have a platform for our best young players to show their capabilities on a regular basis,” said O’Donell.
“If we’re serious about qualifying for the Under-17 World Cup in the future, we need to have these competitions,” he said during a press conference with the Under-16 squad on Wednesday.
Although the Youth Cup and Suparimau exists, O’Donell says competing at a higher level regularly is crucial for the elite young players.
“The Youth Cup is for Under-16 and Suparimau is a grassroots league for ages six to 16. We have trained scouts out there to identify players,” he said.
“But for our young players to progress, it’s not just about playing friendlies or tournaments, but playing regularly.
“If we can identify the players being fielded over the course of the league, we have a more accurate chance of spotting potential talent because they are playing regularly against the opposition,” O’Donell said.
The Under-16 squad, led by Spanish coach Javier Ribera, are currently in Surakarta, Indonesia for the AFF Under-16 Cup.
Ribera agreed with O’Donell’s proposal, adding that league competitions are the key to helping cast a wider net in recognising promising players.
“At the end of the day, it’s not about seeing players and their teams at a tournament for three days.
“We want to see them working regularly throughout the year, this is the process to get the best possible players,” said the former Johor Darul Ta’zim III coach.
In Indonesia, the Under-16 squad will start their Group C matches against Timor Leste on Sunday (June 23), followed by Australia (June 26) and Thailand (June 29).
