Kuala lumpur: Although they failed to qualify for the 2026 AFC U-17 Asian Cup, several players from the national Under-16 (U-16) squad have shown potential to be nurtured up to the senior level (Harimau Malaya), according to team manager Datuk Dollah Salleh. Dollah, who is also the Vice President of the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM), stated that at least 10 players from the young national squad have the potential to wear the senior team jersey within the next five years.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, Dollah expressed his confidence in the players’ future development and emphasized the importance of continuous monitoring and support. He mentioned that these players should not be limited to participating in just one tournament and then moving on to the U-17 squad and clubs without further guidance. Dollah highlighted that discussions with the coach have been centered around ensuring these promising players, particularly the 10 identified, are not overlooked.
Commenting on the overall performance of the national U-16 squad, Dollah noted that while there are players with good individual skills, the team lacks chemistry as a cohesive unit. He remarked on the team’s performance against Vietnam, where the lack of unity was evident due to frequent player rotations and substitutions, which affected the team’s synergy.
The national U-16 squad finished second in Group C of the qualifying campaign for the 2026 AFC U-17 Asian Cup, accumulating 12 points, just behind Vietnam, who topped the group with 15 points. Malaysia’s campaign included a 0-4 loss to Vietnam in the decisive group match, despite securing wins against the Northern Mariana Islands, Hong Kong, Macau, and Singapore in earlier matches.
Dollah’s comments came during his attendance as a special guest at the press conference for the 2025 Datuk Chu Ah Nge International Youth Football Tournament. The tournament, scheduled from December 5 to 7, will feature 100 teams from various age groups from Singapore, Maldives, Indonesia, Nepal, and Malaysia. The champions of each age category will have the opportunity to participate in an academy-organized tournament in Singapore for free in April next year.