SHAH ALAM - Harimau Malaya stunned regional heavyweight Vietnam last week in a result hailed as a turning point for the nation's football future.
The commanding performance was seen as a strong indication that the country’s football transformation strategy is moving in the right direction.
Local sports analyst Afizal Abu Othman praised the victory and encouraged those skeptical of the vision presented by the Regent of Johor (TMJ) Tunku Mahkota Ismail to reconsider their stance.
"Honestly, for some in the football community who are not particularly fond of Tunku Mahkota Ismail's ideas, it is necessary to look positively at the Harimau Malaya squad's achievement and accept this process as long as it does not breach FIFA regulations," he told Sinar.
Afizal, who is also Universiti Malaya’s Sports Centre Director, supports the continued inclusion of heritage players, provided the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) adheres to FIFA guidelines.
"I agree with the initiative mentored by Tunku Mahkota Ismail because we can see how the people, especially the loyal supporters of Malaysian football, are extremely hungry for victories, particularly when facing opponents ranked higher and long-time traditional rivals in the Asean region.
"Take Japan for example. They have thrived with the inclusion of heritage or naturalised players and are now ranked among the best in the world, never missing a World Cup.
"Believe it or not, we are heading in that direction, even though our close neighbor Indonesia is currently further ahead in their football transformation process," he said.