Javier Ribera (left) Scott O'Donnell (right). Credit - FAM
PETALING JAYA: Work has to be doubled if Malaysia want to make a mark in future Under-17 international football competitions.
The national Under-16 squad, led by coach Javier Jorda Ribera, missed out on qualifying for the 2025 Under-17 Asian Cup after finishing second in Group H during last week’s qualifiers in Laos.
In the matches that mattered most, the Malaysians suffered a 2-0 loss to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and drew 2-2 with the hosts.
Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) technical director Scott O’Donell did not deny the fact that Malaysia were not good enough to qualify and highlighted the absence of Under-15 and Under-16 national leagues as a key reason for the setback.
“There is no excuse for failing to qualify,” said O’Donell.
“We had a solid centralised training camp in Johor, playing three international friendlies – defeating Singapore 4-0 and playing twice against Tajikistan, where we lost 2-1 and drew 1-1.
“But we underperformed in the actual qualifying competition in Vientiane.
“Honestly, we will continue to struggle to qualify for future Under-17 Asian Cups unless we establish a competitive platform where our best Under-15 and Under-16 players can regularly play.
“Introducing Under-15 and Under-16 national leagues will allow players to showcase their abilities throughout the season, providing scouts and coaches the opportunity to assess talent over time instead of basing evaluations on one-off friendly matches,” he said.
O’Donell also recommended increasing match opportunities in the Youth Cup and President’s Cup to support long-term player development.
Malaysia’s youth system currently includes the Under-14 Minister of Education Cup, Under-17 KPM-FAM Youth Cup, Under-18 Youth Cup and the Under-20 President’s Cup.
However, the lack of under-15 and under-16 leagues hinders proper evaluation for national team selection at these levels.
“Our young players need to play more competitive matches, where they experience real consequences for mistakes – like receiving yellow cards, giving away penalties, committing unnecessary fouls, or missing scoring chances,” said O’Donell.
“For example, we gave away four penalties in four matches.
“Players don’t feel the same impact from mistakes during friendlies.
“They need to learn to perform under pressure to prepare adequately for international and professional matches.”
