FAM leave out qualifying for the 2030 World Cup from the target

KUALA LUMPUR: The Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) are ambitious but they have chosen to be realistic too.

The national body did not include qualifying for the 2030 FIFA World Cup as one of their targets under their 12-year F30 roadmap launched yesterday.

Under the F30 strategic plan, Malaysia are aiming to become one of the top-five footballing nations in Asia by 2030.

FAM secretary-general Stuart Ramalingam (pic) preferred to be realistic and said it was too early to tell whether Malaysians has what it takes to qualify for the World Cup – even when the world’s biggest football tournament will see an increase of participation from 32 to 48 nations in the 2030 edition.

“I’ll be putting my job on the line if I say so, but I don’t know if I’ll still be around that time,” said Stuart in a jest.

But on a serious note, Stuart said: “The plan is to play better football by developing better teams – and eventually, the end goal is to qualify for the World Cup.

“There are 211 (FIFA) member associations vying for the 48 spots and we’ll try to put everything together and do our best as well.

“But firstly, we have to win at the Asean level. Secondly, qualify for the Asia (Cup) and only then, we can think about the World Cup.

“If we can’t even qualify for the Under-17 and Under-20 World Cups, then we don’t want to think about the men’s World Cup for now.

“If we’re consistent like Japan or South Korea in qualifying for the Asian Cup Finals or participating in the World Cup at the youth level, then we can think about it.”

Asked whether the F30 road-map would last until its third and final phases even if the current FAM president Datuk Hamidin Mohd Amin and Stuart himself leave the office in the future, he said: “We hope this sets us on a right pathway.

“The next management may not stick to this pathway but maybe by then, we would have laid a foundation strong enough for the next group to build on.

“Whether they launch a different plan all together, it’s their prerogative. It’s my hope to put FAM on a solid foundation first. The plan doesn’t belong to us but the association and the association can take it forward.

“In every phase, we’ll evaluate so that the best plan can be carried out for the next cycle.”