KUALA LUMPUR: Kedah's decision to field their under-23 squad in the Super League could result in their budding players facing burnout and fading out from the local football scene.
Kedah coach Nafuzi Zain is forced to turn to the club's under-23 squad for the Super League match against Kuala Lumpur City at the KLFA Stadium tomorrow.
The Canaries' senior squad players had stopped attending training sessions for several weeks due to unpaid wages for the past few months, and it is learnt that the players are also skipping the club's Super League matches.
Football critic Dr. Zulakbal Abdul Karim said the under-23 players could be fired up to take the opportunity to play senior football, but it could also backfire and affect their careers.
"It's sad to see Kedah facing financial issues and their senior players are refusing to train and play matches.
"I hope the management can settle their financial issues fast," said the Asian Football Confederation Professional Coaching Diploma holder.
"They are now going to field their under-23 players at the senior level... the under-23 players surely will want to show what they can do when given the opportunity, but the reality is they are probably not ready for top-flight football."
"The demands and intensity at the senior level are higher; the players at the under-23 level are not designed for it. Pushing them to play at this level without proper exposure can affect the players in the long run.
"The players need to be mentally and physically ready to play at the senior level.
"It's not right to compare our players with the players in Europe; the system is different there, and the young players are more mature compared to ours because of their advanced football management."
Zulakbal, who was a former national youth player, football coach, and academician, said the Kedah under-23 players face an uphill battle in the Super League, and repeated defeats could result in burnout.
"These youngsters are going to play against established players, they probably have a higher chance of losing their matches, and it could affect them psychologically," said the Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris Sports Science associate professor.
"There's more scrutiny on the players due to social media, and when you lose, there's always negative backlash, and this could further affect their morale."
"These players might even quit football because of this, and it would be a loss to Malaysian football in the end. We need to nurture these talents and not suddenly push them to the deep end and expect them to perform."