Cheng Hoe defends omission of JDT players from Harimau Malaya squad

A football analyst has criticized the Malaysian national squad for the conspicuous absence of Johor Darul Ta zim (JDT) players in the upcoming friendlies in China. Dr Zulakbal Abdul Karim, an AFC Elite Instructor, expressed disbelief at the selection of so many players from the Super League champions, while also questioning the exclusion of JDT's naturalized players.

Interim coach Tan Cheng Hoe left nine JDT players off the previous squad, although Bergson is reportedly injured, no explanation was given for the other eight's absence. Dr Zulakbal argued that it was illogical for JDT players to be unavailable for selection, especially when JDT possesses sports science support for optimal player fitness.

Furthermore, he questioned the rationale behind FAM not calling up the majority of JDT's naturalized players, emphasizing the wasted opportunity of naturalizing them if they cannot play for Malaysia. Dr Zulakbal also raised doubts about the effectiveness of the China friendlies if the national team continues to experiment with combinations without key first-choice regulars.

He argued that the matches should provide an opportunity for players to build understanding, and Malaysia's participation in the Asean Cup earlier this year proved that the team can perform well but still struggles with chemistry on the pitch. Dr Zulakbal asserted that the heavy focus on foreign-born players has come at the expense of local talent development, and voiced concerns that Malaysia's efforts in assembling naturalized and heritage players have not yielded the desired results.

Malaysia faces China in a World No. 133 versus World No. 96 matchup on November 14 at Zhaoqing New District Sports Centre Stadium in Guangdong.