Jamal Nasir criticizes U23 Malaysia for missing FIFA Days
Legend Datuk Jamal Nasir publicly criticized coach Nafuzi Zain for not calling up the U23 Malaysia team during FIFA Days 10-18/11, warning of the risk of being eliminated by Vietnam at the 33rd SEA Games when preparations stalled.
Datuk Jamal Nasir has harshly criticized the fact that U23 Malaysia under coach Nafuzi Zain did not take advantage of the FIFA Days period from November 10 to 18 to focus, play friendly matches and shape the squad for the 33rd SEA Games. He is concerned that U23 Malaysia, in the same group as Vietnam, may pay the price for their passive preparation.
Missed FIFA Days and a warning from a Malaysian legend
“I really don’t understand why Nafuzi didn’t take advantage of this moment… This was the perfect opportunity to call up the players, test the squad and start building the squad for the SEA Games. But now, precious time is running out,” Jamal Nasir stressed.
According to him, FIFA Days were created for friendly matches, training, and player evaluation. Not focusing during this period is a “serious waste”, especially when the team needs to create standards, build confidence, and gain real-life competition experience for young players.
SEA Games outside the FIFA schedule and personnel problems
The SEA Games are taking place outside the FIFA calendar, meaning convincing clubs to release players will be more difficult than usual. Jamal Nasir believes that the November training camp is the “ideal time” to organize friendly matches, assess the squad and finalize the personnel structure.
Without test matches, the youth team lacks real-world data to review positions, test substitutions, operate pressing principles or set pieces. These are details that take time to accumulate and are difficult to make up for on match day.
In the same group with Vietnam and at risk of being eliminated
The fact that Malaysia U23 is in the same group as Vietnam makes the preparation standards even more stringent. Jamal Nasir expressed concern that his team could be eliminated by Vietnam if they enter the tournament with an unformed squad and lacking rhythm.
Tactical impact of missed preparation
By skipping the period from 10-18/11, U23 Malaysia lost the opportunity to test the formation structure, coordination triangles and transitional attack-defense plans. Tactical “automation” that needs to be trained through actual match minutes cannot be replaced by short training sessions.
Recent achievements and pressure on coach Nafuzi Zain
The pressure is increasing on coach Nafuzi Zain when U23 Malaysia was eliminated early in the U23 Southeast Asian tournament and only finished third in the U23 Asian qualifiers. The silence in the preparation stage this time has further raised doubts about the ambition of the "Malaysian Tigers" at the 33rd SEA Games in Thailand.
Key points raised by Jamal Nasir
- Missing FIFA Days 10-18/11 means the team will not have a friendly match to test personnel and tactics.
- SEA Games outside of FIFA's working schedule, please release people in difficulty; therefore, it is necessary to make the most of valid training sessions.
- Recent performance has not been good, so preparation needs to be more proactive and to higher standards.
