PETALING JAYA, Dec 11 ― Former Harimau Muda chief coach Ong Kim Swee has given the thumbs-up for the FAM-MSN Project Squad, saying he believes they will prove their worth after a few years of playing in the Premier League.
The Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) assistant technical director said the squad, under the guidance of chief coach Yusry Che Lah, should be given the space to compete consistently and grow in the league.
Kim Swee said his experience with Harimau Muda showed that the young players, who are mostly aged 18, could overcome the challenge of competing against imported players.
“Harimau Muda, who also comprised all local talents, managed to compete with imported players. I'm not saying they (FAM-MSN Project Squad) will be thrashed or win honours. Our aim is to expose them to a higher level of competition.
“I am confident this team will improve after the second or third year and maybe achieve some success after that,” he told reporters after the unveiling of the FAM-MSN Project Squad at Wisma FAM in Kelana Jaya here yesterday.
Kim Swee said young players needed exposure to develop their career, and the intensity of competition of the Premier League was regarded as more suitable than that of the Super League or President's Cup and Youth Cup.
“We know that the Premier League offers a competitive venue for players aged 18, 19 and 20,” he said.
He said the FAM-MSN Project Squad would give selectors more options to pick the national Under-23 team in their bid to qualify for the 2024 Olympics.
The FAM-MSN Project Squad, a collaboration between FAM and the National Sports Council (MSN), will also help players from the National Football Development Programme (NFDP) including the Mokhtar Dahari Academy (AMD) transition to the senior and professional stages.
Thirty players comprising AMD graduates and products of the Youth Cup and President's Cup, Malaysian and State Sports Schools, and District Training Centres under NFDP will form the pioneer FAM-MSN Project Squad in January next year. ― Bernama
