Expert calls for disbanding Malaysia national team department after Vietnam match

Football critic Zakaria Rahim has called for the dissolution of the Malaysia national team management department immediately after the upcoming match against Vietnam on March 31.

The Malaysia national team is currently not managed by the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) but by Malaysia National Team (NT). According to expert Zakaria Rahim, this arrangement needs to be terminated.

“After the match against Vietnam on March 31 in the Asian Cup qualifiers, the Malaysia national team department essentially loses much of its purpose,” Zakaria told Timesport. “There are no major matches ahead. Individuals like CEO Rob Friend and other high-salaried positions are no longer necessary. Let the Malaysia national team return under the management of the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM), where new faces are about to emerge.”

Zakaria not only criticized on-field performance but also directly targeted the operational structure of the NT management. According to him, Rob Friend – the former Canadian striker currently serving as CEO – is inaccessible, seldom present in Malaysia, and fails to demonstrate clear leadership.

Deputy Executive Director Stanley Bernard also rarely appears in public discussions, forcing head coach Peter Cklamovski to frequently explain issues beyond his professional scope.

Whenever a crisis erupts, responsibility often falls on the coach, while the senior management remains largely silent. According to Zakaria, this is an inefficient and fundamentally problematic operational method.

Since early last year, the Malaysia national team department has operated independently from FAM's direct oversight. However, recent administrative errors have been linked to the federation itself, indicating that organizational restructuring does not guarantee smoother operations.

“We still have the Southeast Asian Championship in July. There is no need for continued high spending while FAM is in a ‘rebuilding’ phase and trying to regain trust from sponsors and the public,” Zakaria added.

“We must face reality. We spent heavily because we needed to build a squad capable of targeting the 2027 Asian Cup. That goal is essentially complete. Now, the priority should be training young players for the 2030 World Cup qualifiers and the 2031 Asian Cup qualifiers, which will commence after two years,” Zakaria remarked.

Zakaria believes financial resources should be redirected towards youth development. According to him, given that the national team has no major objectives beyond the Southeast Asian Championship, the current department – which is “overstaffed and overpaid” – should be disbanded.

Zakaria's comments have been enthusiastically endorsed by a segment of Malaysian fans. The final decision (if any) will only be made after the match against Vietnam on March 31 at Thiên Trường Stadium.

Following the AFC penalty, the match is largely procedural as Vietnam has officially secured a spot in the 2027 Asian Cup finals. Nevertheless, both teams remain highly determined for the upcoming match.