KUALA LUMPUR – The FAM-NSC Project Squad had to be disbanded due to a lack of quality players from the National Football Development Programme (NFDP) and Akademi Mokhtar Dahari (AMD), according to Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) technical director Scott O’Donell today.
Speaking to the press at the launch of the LaLiga Youth League and Youth Tournament 2024, O’Donell said that he recommended the programme’s disbandment.
“I supported the decision to disband because we weren’t getting the best players for that squad.
“The best players from AMD and NFDP were joining clubs, so I didn’t see the purpose of continuing that programme.
“If we could have access to the best players to play for the FAM-NSC Project Squad, then I would have supported the programme.
“If it had been like it used to be, with the best young players staying together and playing, that would have been beneficial (to the national team),” said the Australian.
The FAM-NSC Project Squad was a collaboration between FAM and the National Sports Council (NSC), which was launched in 2020 to provide a pathway for graduates from the NFDP and AMD to transition into senior football.
However, O’Donell believes that the resources invested in the programme were not entirely wasted.
“I don’t believe we wasted money on the programme because the under-20 team that won the Asean Football Federation Championship, under Hassan Sazali Waras, had half of its players from the FAM-NSC Project Squad. So they did well.
“But we have got to look into the future and see what is best, as there are limited funds available for development and we have to look at how to best spend that money.
“In our discussions with the NSC, the focus is on the 2027 Kuala Lumpur SEA Games. So the plan this year is for our under-19 team to be the team that’s chasing the gold medal in 2027,” added O’Donell.
Yesterday, NSC deputy director-general Jefri Ngadirin said the government agency has agreed to assist FAM with funding for three years to form an under-19 team to hunt for gold on home soil in 2027.
Meanwhile, O’Donell advocated for more youth tournaments like the LaLiga Youth League to provide young players with game time and exposure.
“We need more of this type of tournament because our best youngsters have to be playing all year round.
“I mean, this festival is better than nothing, and that is why we also have the Liga Suparimau, where the participants play up to 36 games throughout the whole year.
“This type of competition also benefits our coaches and referees,” he said. – May 2, 2024