FANS CAN PLAY ‘TALENT SCOUT’
FAM search for ‘heritage’ players overseas
THE FA of Malaysia will welcome information given by fans who know of “heritage” players playing abroad.
A heritage player is one who has ancestral connections with the country that he wishes to play for.
For example, Zambia’s Marcel Kalonda is the latest who is said to be interested in donning Malaysia’s colours.
“Discovered” by a fan for Malaysia, the African can qualify as a heritage player as his grandfather was from Sabah.
FAM naturalisation programme committee chairman Datuk Wira Yusoff Mahadi urged the recommenders to get more details about the players concerned before submitting their names.
“We welcome those who want to come and play for Malaysia. But we don’t have enough manpower to scout (the world for players with Malaysian heritage). Those who have information can help us,” he said.
However, Yusoff stressed that these players must be earnest and committed in wearing the Harimau Malaya shirt.
The naturalisation programme chief has good reason to be cautious after New Zealand’s Harry Edge, described as a “heritage prospect”, said later he wasn’t interested in playing for Malaysia.
“It’s hard for us to run checks on them if they are not interested,” said Yusoff.
While FAM tried to forge a strong national team capable of challenging Asia’s best with the F:30 programme, Yusoff admitted they had overlooked “certain talent, even local talent” because of difficulties in reaching all the players.
For this reason, Yusoff said talented players abroad with ancestral ties to Malaysia, are invited to send their (verified) supporting document to FAM.
He said selection of players for the national team under the heritage category will be strictly on merit, and nothing else.
“We will check out the information given on the recommended players.
“Only then will we follow up like what we did with Marcel Kalonda,”
The 22-year-old Kalonda, who is a defender, stands at 1.88m and he currently plays for Zesco United in Zambia.
Yusoff revealed that the scope for getting heritage players has widened as it is not feasible to recruit naturalised footballers (with no ancestral ties with Malaysia but meet the Fifa eligibility rule of five-year residence) from the M-League.
He said it is relatively easier for FAM to assess and recruit heritage players for the national team than having to wait five years before making a decision on whether to accept a naturalised player.
The national team have two naturalised players (with no ancestral ties to Malaysia) in Gambia’s Mohamadou Sumareh and Kosovo’s Liridon Krasniqi.
The heritage players in the team are Brendan Gan, Matthew Davies (both from Australia), England’s La’Vere Corbin-Ong and Singapore’s Dominic Tan.