Coach Cklamovski: 'Malaysian football would have collapsed long ago if...'

Coach Peter Cklamovski gave strong moral support to the Malaysian national team players following their 3-0 win against Laos, and he also spoke out in defense of Johor royal Tunku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim.

After a challenging first half, the Malaysian national team managed to defeat Laos 3-0 in the second half on the evening of October 9. Speaking at the post-match press conference, Coach Peter Cklamovski encouraged his players:

“Our boys are professional athletes. They give their all to win and demonstrate true sportsmanship. But tonight, I genuinely sympathize with them. No matter how much they try to hide it, the feeling of being ‘powerless’ and the loss of hope to progress must weigh heavily on their minds.”

Before the match, Malaysian football in general and the national team in particular were facing a major crisis due to a naturalization scandal. Regarding this, Coach Cklamovski added: “I wouldn’t want to be in the players’ shoes… but they still step onto the field and fight for the badge on their chest. That deserves respect.”

The coach also expressed gratitude to Malaysian fans who came to the stadium to support the team’s spirit: “It is the fans in the stands who keep our faith alive”, he stated.

Additionally, the Australian coach defended Johor royal Tunku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim (TMM): “There are negative opinions directed at him. That is unfair and baseless. He is a visionary leader; without him, Malaysian football would have collapsed long ago.”.

“Mistakes in management that caused issues with FIFA are the fault of FAM, not TMJ. Without him, Malaysian football would have ended,” The Star quoted Cklamovski as saying.

This victory gave Malaysia 3 more points and kept them at the top of the standings. On October 14, they will have a rematch against Laos. However, the "fate" of Malaysia’s matches against Vietnam (June 10) and Nepal (March 25) remains uncertain. Currently, the Malaysian Football Association is still appealing to FIFA regarding the case of seven illegally naturalized players.

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