NEWLY appointed technical director Scott O’Donell wants to rejuvenate the FA of Malaysia’s (FAM) F30: roadmap as some of their plans and targets were affected by the Covid-19 pandemic.
The well-travelled Australian turned out for Kuala Lumpur in the M-League from 1994-1995, making 35 appearances as a defender. He had also played for Singapore’s Tampines Rovers and clubs in Australia.
He was named as the S-League’s 2003 Coach of the Year when he was coaching Geylang United. He had also served the Cambodian national team in 2005-2007 and 2009-2010.
The Fifa-accredited coaching instructor and former Asian Football Confederation (AFC) director of coach education was also the All India Football Federation (AIFF) technical director from 2011-2014.
The 54-year-old O’Donell said he aims to leave Malaysian football in a better position after his tenure.
“The F30: roadmap is a good plan, but it should also be an evolving plan, a living document, which changes with the time. The roadmap was disrupted by the pandemic,” he said at Wisma FAM in Kelana Jaya yesterday.
“It does not mean that the focus changes on what we want to achieve in developing Malaysian football. The national team is paramount, but grassroots football, youth development, coaches’ education, women’s football and futsal are equally important.
“I want to leave Malaysian football in a better place when my contract ends after three years. There are no quick fixes or shortcuts in football development. We need to engage with all the stakeholders and work in the same direction.”
O’Donell said that the national team will skip the next Fifa international window on Jan 24-Feb 1.
With the decision, Harimau Malaya will not play at least two friendly matches.
The decision was expected as the national team are without a coach following the recent resignation of Tan Cheng Hoe.
Malaysia’s most important mission for the season is the Asian Cup qualifiers, which start on June 8.
“In terms of Fifa window, there is no urgency for it at the moment. The teams are preparing for the Super League and the Premier League. I don’t think there is a need to disrupt their plans at this stage,” he added.
Source: New Straits Times
