For the past few days, we have been reading about how Dato K Rajagopal is going to be replaced with a master tactician of a huge credibility. Rumours say it will be Phillippe Troussier or the White Witch Doctor...the man who had helped Japan in its World Cup 2002 campaign and several African nations in their footballing triumphs.
However, the said news has its own downside, in which the coach's sky-high salary that FAM has to fork out if this coach's expertise was to be used.
The question is...would it be worthwhile or beneficial to Malaysian football? Simply hiring an expert will not change our football's fate overnight. The whole system must undergo a revamp in order to see Malaysia rises again in at least at the Asian level.
When we dwell on the point of "the whole system", it means the whole thing related to soccer or football in Malaysia. Our new Sports and Youth Minister's move in getting the service of our renowned ex player, Lim Teong Kim recently is indeed a baby step toward a successful set-up.
But it must not stop right there. We must ensure that the players, the officials and the fans are also playing their part vehemently in charting the route to success. Accountability must be in place but the human touch's aspect just cannot be ignored as well. We must put the element of appreciation above the common punishment ahead of us.
Apart from what that have been mentioned here, don't forget about the element of passion in the picture. Without passion in the pipeline, money spent will always be a wasteful story. People involved must be nurtured to love their stuff in whatever circumstances.
Whatever it is, we Malaysian are so grateful and thankful to Dato K Rajagopal for putting us back on ASEAN football map after a 2 lowly decades of football sadness.
We do really hope that our Harimau Malaya will roar loudly again.
Your passionate Malaysian fan,
Mufarz 2013
