KUALA LUMPUR (12 April 2013) – The intention was clear and Sultan Haji Ahmad Shah, the president of the FA of Malaysia (FAM), said in no uncertain terms this week that the Harimau Muda squad must deliver the SEA Games gold medal at the end of the year.
Speaking after the FAM Exco meeting Sultan Ahmad, who is also the president of the ASEAN Football Federation (AFF) added that the disappointment of being unable to defend the AFF Suzuki Cup crown last year meant that there is added pressure on Ong Kim Swee’s Under-23 team to deliver the third gold medal in a row in men’s football.
“The truth is that we cannot hide the disappointment in the senior team in their inability to defend the AFF Suzuki 2012,” said Sultan Ahmad (pix). “After the euphoria of 2010 (when Malaysia won the AFF Suzuki Cup for the first time), we are back to reality.
“Defending the crown is not easy but it should not be used as an excuse. I have said on numerous occasions that the performance of the national team is the yardstick to the performance of the FAM. We cannot run away from this fact.
“So I hope that the Harimau Muda squad can defend the SEA Games crown in Myanmar to make up for our disappointment (at the AFF Suzuki Cup 2012) and return the sense of confidence back to the fans.”
The Harimau Muda team under Kim Swee is currently in Europe for training and matches.
