Malaysia put aside off-pitch issues, eye semis

For a couple of years, Malaysian football looked set for a renaissance.

- Paulo Josue

BUKIT JALIL -

Boosted by a glut of naturalised players, charismatic South Korean coach Kim Pan-gon instilled a swashbuckling style of play as the Tigers reached the 2022 Asean Championship semi-finals and qualified for the 2023 Asian Cup, where they held South Korea to a 3-3 draw for their first point since 1980.

Their world ranking improved from 154th to 130th, and they looked poised for bigger achievements, even though Kim abruptly resigned in July, citing personal commitments.

However, Harimau Malaya's rise could be derailed by off-the-pitch issues. In recent years, the financial plight of some Malaysia Super League (MSL) clubs has made the headlines, as the privatisation of the league and its teams has not quite had the positive effect it was mooted to bring since the process started in 2015.

Former Perak FC chief executive officer Yunus Zakariah told The New Straits Times: "Many clubs only know how to spend recklessly, which is why they end up with nothing, leading to unpaid salaries. If they don't change, some clubs might 'die off'."

Almost a decade on, clubs like Perlis, Melaka United, Sarawak United and Kelantan have either folded or were expelled due to financial mismanagement, while others struggle with salary arrears as they hand out bumper contracts with monthly wages of over RM100,000 (S$30,200).