KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 21 (Bernama) -- The Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) wants sports critics in the country to support National coach K. Rajagobal and give some breathing space while he prepares for the Laos SEA Games.
FAM Secretary-General Datuk Azzuddin Ahmad said it was necessary although critics have their own rights and views on the status of Malaysian football and its international standing.
"Once in a while there need to be some encouragement, since Rajagobal had just taken over as National coach in April, while the players are still young," he told Bernama.
Azzuddin said critics must forget the past because there were signs of a revival, especially the performance of the National Under-23 squad.
"Though the National squad rolled out some favourable results against Kenya (0-0), China (0-0), Manchester United (lost 2-3 and 0-2), Saudi Arabia (lost 1-2) and drew 0-0 with Jordan, critics have claimed that such results were achieved because their opponents did not field their full sides.
"However, I feel the gap is becoming smaller, especially the slim 1-2 defeat against Saudi Arabia who fielded their full team since they were preparing for the 2010 World Cup," he said.
Azzuddin said he cannot guarantee that the Under-23 squad would win the gold medal in Laos but even if they failed, there will be no stopping the team from trying in the following edition.
"If they fail, we have to look at what went wrong but to FAM, the current squad is on the right track," he said.
He added that the FAM would not rush into setting a target for the team.
Meanwhile, FAM Deputy President Datuk Redzuan Sheikh Ahmad had said that the National team's target would only be set after the draws for the competition in November.
The last time Malaysia won a SEA Games gold medal in football was back in the 1989 Kuala Lumpur SEA Games after beating Singapore 3-1.
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