GEORGE TOWN: Harimau Muda senior team coach Mohd Azraai Khor is keeping his fingers crossed that his side will get the green light to feature in the Singapore S-League this year.
The Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) are currently negotiating with their Singapore counterparts to include the national Under-21 team in the 2010 S-League season.
Harimau Muda’s chances of becoming the first local side to play in a foreign league look bright.
There is a vacancy for the S-League’s 12-team 2010 competition following the withdrawal of Brunei club side DPMM FC after FIFA suspended the Brunei FA in 2009.
Furthermore, FAM had set a precedence by opening their doors to the Singapore Under-23 team to compete in the Malaysian FA Cup competition in 2006.
“Nothing has been finalised yet. But due to DPMM’s withdrawal, Harimau Muda’s chances to feature in the S-League this year look good.
“If we are accepted, it will be an exciting platform for my players to go up against the foreign clubs. We have played and won the (Malaysian) Premier League and now is the time to expose the players to a different environment,” said Azraai yesterday.
The national Under-21 squad coached by Azraai were originally slated to feature in the 14-team Malaysian Super League before FAM backtracked on the idea.
The Harimau Muda junior team (Under-19), under the charge of Ong Kim Swee, will continue to play in the 12-team Premier League.
Last year, current national coach K. Rajagopal and Kim Swee led the Under-19s to the Premier League title.
Besides DPMM, the other foreign invited teams for the S-League in 2009 were South Korea’s Super Reds and Japanese outfit Albirex Niigata.
Singapore Armed Forces are the reigning champions of the S-League, which is expected to begin in February.
–The Star
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