KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysian hopes of qualifying for the 2026 World Cup are hanging by a thread, and that does not surprise football critic Dr Zulakbal Abdul Karim.
Malaysia only have two qualifying matches against Kyrgyzstan (June 6) and Taiwan (June 11) left to play and the squad have so far collected six points from four games.
They are third in their second-round group behind Kyrgyzstan and Oman, who have nine points each. Taiwan is at the bottom of the group with zero points. Only the top two advance.
National head coach Kim Pan-gon had admitted that the team needed a miracle to reach the World Cup.
Zulakbal, an AFC Professional Coaching Diploma holder, said nothing had changed as Malaysia had not advanced past the second round of the World Cup qualifiers since 1974.
"Everyone wants to play in the World Cup but big ambition without proper planning is of no use," said Zulakbal today.
"It is unlikely we will qualify due to the injury crisis we are facing. We also have to face a strong team (Kyrgyzstan) on their home ground.
"It is not a big deal as we have never qualified for the World Cup before.
"The question is, what are we going to do after this qualifying campaign ends? We have been facing the same issues for years and nothing has changed.
"The focus should be on producing good talent from the youth level and progressing them to the senior team. The M-League should also be the platform for players to hone their skills and elevate their performances.
"Youth development should be given more emphasis and it should create players who can step up to the national senior team seamlessly.
"We have the Education Ministry, Mokhtar Dahari Academy and the FA of Malaysia (FAM) involved in youth development. They should all be on the same page and their philosophy must be the same."
Zulakbal said the injury crisis highlighted the importance of having a quality domestic league to supply talent.
"Injuries are part and parcel of the game. The coach should have planned in advance. The talent pool is there, but the question is whether they are up to the standard," said Zulakbal.
"This is why we need the M-League to be of a high standard, so we have quality players to expand the options of the national coach.
"We have been relying on regular faces, which is not a good sign."