PETALING JAYA: Former Malaysian international Razman Roslan did not mince his words when asked about Malaysia’s inactivity during the upcoming June FIFA international window.
“It’s a waste,” said the Professional Footballers Association of Malaysia (PFAM) president as Harimau Malaya prepare to sit out the June 1-9 period.
Razman said the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) were missing out on a crucial opportunity at a time when most nations were taking advantage of the international calendar to strengthen their squads and improve their rankings. “People may say it is only a friendly, but it is still a match and it still matters,” said Razman.
“They could have used the platform to test players who have performed well in the Super League. We are also losing out on ranking points. Malaysia could slip further down the rankings.”
Razman, who won the 2010 AFF Suzuki Cup with Malaysia, added that the silence from the national team management had only added to the frustration among Harimau Malaya supporters, who are eager to see the team recover from the mixed heritage player controversy.
“It would be better if our international calendar was filled. Even if it is only two friendlies, it is still beneficial. It is always better to have matches than none at all,” he said.
“There is little information from the national team management and everything remains quiet, naturally questions will be raised.”
Malaysia are currently ranked 146th in the world.
A former international, who declined to be named, said the lack of friendlies could be linked to the suspension of seven so-called mixed heritage players by FIFA, which resulted in a one-year ban and points deductions for Malaysia in the 2027 Asian Cup third-round qualifiers.
“Maybe some teams are reluctant to play against us because of the mixed heritage scandal and the issues surrounding it, which have yet to be fully resolved domestically,” he said.
“We may have to accept that there will be no matches for the time being until the FIFA Asean Cup.”
Although there has been no official announcement from the national team management, it is understood that the Under-23 squad under Nafuzi Zain will compete in the AFF Hyundai Cup in August.
The senior national team are expected to return to action in the inaugural FIFA Asean Cup in September in Jakarta, Indonesia, with fixtures set to be from Sept 21-Oct 6, during the FIFA international window.
