Experts speak frankly about Malaysia's withdrawal from the tournament due to the loss of naturalized stars

(Dan Tri) - Football expert Datuk Dr. Pekan Ramli has criticized the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) for its decision to withdraw the national team from the Central Asian Championship.

The Central Asian Championship (CAFA Cup) will take place from August 29 to September 8. Malaysia had initially registered to participate in the tournament. However, they withdrew at the last minute because the tournament did not take place during the FIFA Days period (national team training according to FIFA's schedule). Therefore, the "Tigers" cannot call up naturalized stars from Europe and South America because clubs are not required to release players.

Malaysia quits Central Asian Championship due to lack of naturalized stars (Photo: FAM).

This affects Malaysia's performance. Therefore, FAM is concerned that they will drop in the FIFA rankings if they do not perform well.

Faced with this situation, expert Datuk Dr. Pekan Ramli criticized the Football Association of Malaysia. He said that FAM frankly acknowledged its responsibility in this incident.

According to Mr. Pekan Ramli, the last-minute withdrawal from the Central Asian tournament not only seriously affects the image of Malaysian football but also risks damaging relations with federations in the region.

“We have to look at the problem squarely. This is not CAFA’s fault. From the beginning, we knew that the matches in this tournament were not on the FIFA schedule, yet we still agreed to participate.

FAM should have been looked into thoroughly before. They can’t just say they’ve discovered the problem now. Was FAM overconfident that they would be able to call up enough naturalized players? Or was there logistical trouble? All of these things should have been taken into account from the start, including the possibility of playing with an incomplete squad, which could seriously affect our rankings and reputation.”

The decision to withdraw was made more than a month before the tournament kicked off, after FAM determined that it was impossible to assemble the strongest squad, especially naturalized players playing abroad, due to scheduling and travel difficulties.

Although FAM has not officially admitted its mistake, Mr. Pekan Ramli has warned that the way the incident was handled could create a negative reaction in regional football diplomacy .

Expert Pekan Ramli said Malaysia made a mistake by dropping out of the Central Asian tournament (Photo: FAM).

“When you pull out at the last minute, it’s like blaming others. CAFA has expressed dissatisfaction with the way Malaysia handled the situation. They may have made all the preparations, from logistics to organisation. But we pulled out at the last minute. That definitely hurts the cooperation between the parties,” he added.

In addition, Mr. Pekan Ramli also emphasized the growing dissatisfaction from fans when FAM made an incomprehensible decision: “This is the reality that FAM has to face. Maybe not participating helps maintain the current FIFA ranking (rank 125), that is the only bright spot. Because if we bring a weak squad to compete and lose, the ranking can be affected even more seriously.

They think they can call up a strong squad. When that doesn't happen, they make a hasty decision and it damages the national image. It seems they are worried about losing their unbeaten streak or being relegated, so they play it safe. But that also means missing out on the opportunity to experiment and develop the squad."

Not only will it damage relations with CAFA, it will also affect Malaysia’s plans to host the Merdeka Cup, which was previously cancelled in favour of CAFA but may now be revived as a last-minute alternative.

Expert Pekan Ramli added: “Maybe they canceled the Merdeka Cup initially because of CAFA. Now FAM needs to quickly restore it or find a friendly opponent within the FIFA schedule. But if the team plays from September 1-9 without the strongest squad, it will just be an internal practice.

Some people will say that the Malaysian team should just use the players they have. But it is clear that the coaching staff does not want to risk their ranking. They choose the safe path, which is to protect their achievements and image, even if it means sacrificing their international reputation.

In conclusion, Mr. Pekan Ramli called on FAM to have the courage to take responsibility instead of remaining silent. He said: “This is no longer a simple football matter. It is related to international relations. CAFA is a regional organization and now we have damaged that relationship. FAM needs to have the courage to admit its mistakes.”

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/the-thao/chuyen-gia-noi-thang-ve-viec-malaysia-bo-giai-vi-mat-dan-sao-nhap-tich-20250718133439712.htm