Handle with care
Karathu: In-depth study needed to pick best of the best
PETALING JAYA: An in-depth study is needed to ensure that football players who are naturalised are of good quality.
While hailing the naturalisation plan as a sensible move, former national player and coach Datuk M. Karathu said it would only work if the foreign player has pride turning out for the country and also brings another dimension to the team.
He said over the last 30 years, the country has failed to produce top players.
“I support such a move but it also begs the question, what have we done over the years?” asked the former Perak and Kelantan coach.
“Have we developed a player that can play in Asia’s top leagues? Over the years, we had some players in foreign leagues but they do not make it there.
“One example was the midfielder (Nazmi Faiz Mansor) who played in Portugal.
“He is a talented kid and showed lots of promise. However, he was only there for a short while before returning home.
“When given the opportunity, they are not taking it. More players should be playing overseas as this exposure would build their confidence and their skills would only get better.
“Teamwork is important in football but game changers are usually players with good individual talent.”
Karathu added that the quality of foreign players in the local league is questionable and that is why FAM need to make sure that an in-depth study is done.
“The foreigners who are here can’t make it in the big leagues. They can flourish here because our league is not competitive enough.
“Yes, we all want the country to dowell.
“But we do not want these players to turn out for the national team for a short while and refused to do so when they play in the bigger leagues,” he added.
Karathu, who has coached in Sri Lanka and Singapore, said France certainly did well with their talent scouting as they searched for the best young talents from their former colonies.
“These scouts know how to pick the players. They then place them in clubs or academies and ensure they get regular games before stepping into the national team.
“Once they turned 18 or 19, they are French citizens. It benefits the country, club and players.
“Country and clubs get quality players and the players also see this as a way to come out of poverty.
“Look at the French national team now, they are world champions.
“We can learn from them if we want to get this naturalisation mechanism right.
“Also, our football system should understand that players should be given games at a young age.
“I played for the state when I was 20.
“In Malaysia, some players only get to play when they are 22 or 23.
“Start them early and you will see results.”