KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 20 — Malaysian League (M-League) squads are currently not allowed to hold team training sessions or participate in any competitions based on the movement control order (MCO) standard operating procedures, says Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) deputy president Datuk Mohd Yusoff Mahadi.
He said Youth and Sports Minister Datuk Seri Reezal Merican Naina Merican’s recent announcement was only to allow the national squad was allowed to undergo a quarantine-based centralised training camp.
“Actually, this decision (the permission for the Harimau Malaya squad to train) does not involve the M-League competition, it was made based on national interest, and it does not involve teams and clubs in states placed under the MCO,” he told Bernama today.
Yesterday, Reezal Merican confirmed that the national squad had been allowed to hold its first centralised training camp since November 2019, at the National Sports Council (MSN) in Bukit Jalil.
This comes as the Harimau Malaya squad coached by Tan Cheng Hoe is running out of time ahead of two crucial 2022 World Cup / Asian Cup 2023 second-round qualifiers against the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Vietnam in March.
Meanwhile, Mohd Yusoff, who is also a board member of the Malaysian Football League said, the 2021 M-League competition scheduled to start on February 26 may be affected, following the government’s decision to implement the MCO throughout the country except in Sarawak from January 22 to February 4.
“We are having difficulty in scheduling the league, and we are also not sure when the M-League teams can get the opportunity to prepare for the new M-League season during the MCO period,” he said. — Bernama
