The FA of Malaysia (FAM) are in a bind over the clash of dates for the Asian Zone final round qualifying tournament for the 2012 London Olympics and the SEA Games Under-23 football competition in Indonesia.
National Under-23 coach Ong Kim Swee, who handles the Harimau Muda A team has been given the mandate to take charge of both the assignments but the former international will find it almost impossible to field his best team for the two separate competitions because of the tight playing schedules.
The SEA Games football matches will kick off on Nov 7 and the final is on Nov 22 while Malaysia’s campaign in the Olympic qualifiers begins with an away match against Japan on Sept 21 followed by two home matches against Syria and Bahrain on Nov 23 and 27 respectively.
What now?: Kim Swee not sure about using U-23 team for Games. Malaysia, who won the SEA Games gold medal after a lapse of 20 years in 2009, will start as the favourites in Indonesia and assuming they qualify for the final (on Nov 22) there is no way they can play the Olympic qualifying match against Syria in Kuala Lumpur the following day (on Nov 23).
Under FIFA competition regulations the players must have 48 hours of rest after an international game.
The FAM are in a quandary and may have have to find other options including placing an Under-23 “B” team and a coach on standby for their SEA Games campaign in Indonesia.
Kim Swee is currently with the National Under-23 squad in Slovakia. A total of 30 players left for Slovakia on July 23 for a training-cum-playing stint against Slovakian Division One clubs and are scheduled to return home on Aug 28.
Kim Swee said that the SEA Games matches would be a good build-up for the players and felt that the only possible way for him to handle both assignments was for AFC to reschedule the dates for the Olympic qualifiers against Syria (Nov 23) and Bahrain (Nov 27).
“We may have to come up with a contingency plan unless we get the approval to delay the dates of the two matches against Syria and Bahrain. I hope we can get a favourable reply if not we are in trouble,” said a concerned Kim Swee from Slovakia yesterday.
“Fielding two teams is not the option. The SEA Games is part of the preparations for the Olympic qualifiers. So, it is not going to do any good by having two teams but again if we have no choice we will have to. Personally, I want the best team for the two competitions and if there is no choice, then, it is up to FAM to make a decision – whether to a second team for the SEA Games,” said Kim Swee.
The expectations are high on Kim Swee’s boys to qualify for the final at the SEA Games but for the Olympic qualifiers they will definitely find life much tougher in the final round (last 12) after having defeated Pakistan (2-0 on aggregate) and Lebanon (2-1 on aggregate) in the opening two rounds.
Asia have 3.5 slots for the London Olympics. The 12 winners in the second round were divided into three groups of four teams each for the final round and the matches will be played from Sept 21-March 14. The group winners qualify for the London Games.
The second-placed teams will then play off at a centralised venue from March 25-29 and the winners will face an African side for a place in the Olympics.
For the record, Malaysia have only qualified twice for the Olympics – in 1972 (Munich) and 1980 (Moscow).
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