Malaysian expert highlights issues following 0-4 defeat to Vietnam U17

According to expert Zulakbal Abdul Karim, the 0-4 loss to Vietnam U17 not only puts Malaysia U17 in a difficult position, but also serves as a wake-up call for the country's youth football training system.

Historically, the best achievements of Malaysian youth football at regional competitions were two championship wins in 2013 and 2019. However, according to football analyst Dr. Zulakbal Abdul Karim, the stumble against Vietnam has exposed many systemic issues.

“This is only the first match, but the heavy defeat shows we have not yet been able to build a team of sufficient quality. The players come from the District Training Centre (PLD) system, sports schools, and the Mokhtar Dahari Academy (AMD), but clearly there are still shortcomings,” he stated.

This expert also questioned the effectiveness of training and personnel selection: “If 0-4 is the best result with the top talents, we need to review the entire process. Has the training truly been effective? Have we selected the best players?”

According to Zulakbal, a comprehensive review of the youth football development program is urgently needed, including both internal checks and external evaluations to identify core weaknesses.

"We need to conduct an immediate inspection of the training program. Internal and external checks are crucial to find the flaws."

Nevertheless, he also believes that the current coaching staff, including National Football Development Program (NFDP) Director Ong Kim Swee and U17 head coach Shukor Adan, still need more time to make their mark.

Additionally, this expert could not hide his concern that coaches who previously helped Malaysia win the ASEAN U17 title, such as Balachandran or Maniam, are not being utilized further.

“We need the best coaches for youth football. This is a specific level requiring specialized training methods. Not every good player can become a good coach, especially when working with non-professional players,” he emphasized.