KUALA LUMPUR – National under-16 team manager Christopher Raj believes that young footballers must step out of their comfort zones and compete in the Amateur Football League (AFL) to catch the attention of his coaching team.
Christopher’s remarks came after scouting potential talents during the Tan Sri Hamidin Challenge on September 14.
The nine-a-side invitational tournament, which focused on veteran teams, also included an Under-16 category featuring teams such as My World Hunters FA Academy (Penang), Black Leopard FA (KL), CIMB YFA (KL), DTFT (Selangor), KR7 FC (Malacca), Destiny FDC (Selangor), Wira MAS Ipoh (Perak), and PD U Rangers FC (Port Dickson, NS).
Destiny FDC emerged victorious, defeating CIMB YFA 2-0 in the final.
Speaking to Scoop, Christopher said that while the young players displayed potential, their current level does not match that of his national under-16 squad, which primarily consists of players from Akademi Mokhtar Dahari (AMD) and Johor Darul Ta’zim (JDT).
“It’s nice to see these young footballers playing and enjoying the game, but their standard is far below that of AMD and JDT players, who regularly participate in tournaments like the Youth Cup and the President’s Cup.
“We have been scouting players and have already identified 50, with plans to expand. Centralised training will start very soon.
“Young footballers who want to be noticed need to play in the AFL, as that’s the right platform for competitive football. Players can start in the AFL at age 16, and from there, move on to different clubs in the Super League,” said Christopher.
The AFL, sanctioned by the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM), currently oversees 15 tournaments nationwide with plans to increase to 20 by the end of the year.
“For young players to improve and gain exposure, clubs need to play a bigger role by competing in a league for a good seven to eight months. Moreover, young talents in our country can’t rely solely on invitational competitions if they want to go far.
“Players will improve and be more likely to get noticed if they compete against the likes of JDT and Polis Diraja Malaysia FC. They need to challenge the best if they want to become the best.
“If footballers only play against those at their own level, they’ll forever remain in their comfort zone and won’t improve.
“The opportunity to play for the national team at all levels is always there, whether you’re 19 or 26 years old. But at the end of the day, it’s all about how much time and effort the players are willing to invest in achieving their dreams,” Christopher added.
For the record, Christopher’s under-16 squad, guided by Javier Jorda Ribera, will face Laos, the United Arab Emirates, and Lebanon in the 2025 AFC U17 Asian Cup qualifiers, scheduled to take place from October 19 to 26. — September 17, 2024