National team’s success brings renewed hope to MSL

PETALING JAYA: It was exactly a month ago (Dec 29) that the national team were locked in a fierce battle with Indonesia for the Suzuki Cup Asean Football Federation (AFF) Championships crown at the Gelora Bung Karno Stadium in Jakarta.

The Malaysian team defeated Indonesia 4-2 on aggregate to lift the Suzuki Cup for the first time since its inception in 1996.

That sensational achievement shook the whole nation, with the players and officials receiving accolades for defying the odds. It raised the profile of the national team, who have been in the doldrums for two decades since they last won the SEA Games gold medal in Kuala Lumpur in 1989.

Football is now a national agenda, with Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak leading the government’s show of support by funding overseas stints for the national team.

The FA of Malaysia (FAM) also received a shot in the arm recently when Astro became the Malaysian Super League’s (MSL) official broadcast media partner, with their whopping RM120mil contribution for four years. Astro will also fund an additional RM100mil for the MSL promotional campaigns.

The MSL, which is entering its eighth year, is set for significant changes under the new leadership of chairman Tan Sri Annuar Musa and chief executive officer Stuart Ramalingam.

Efforts are being made to educate the affiliates to be more professional in handling their affairs and to assist teams in raising funds through enhanced marketing and promotional campaigns.

The MSL is set for more changes next year – the most significant one being the re-introduction of foreign players.

The number of teams in the top flight is expected to be reduced from the present 14 to either eight or 10 teams.

Alas, there is renewed hope that the MSL will be able to raise the bar for the local teams to reach new heights, especially in the AFC Cup and Champions League.