Selangor Journal

FAS invest in six Mokhtar Dahari Academy graduates

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 30 — The Football Association of Selangor (FAS) have confirmed the signing of six Mokhtar Dahari Academy (AMD) graduates as they are set on pushing more youngsters to follow Malaysian teen sensation Luqman Hakim Shamsudin’s footsteps to Europe.

Luqman Hakim, 18, who joined Selangor II at the end of last year, completed his move to Belgian professional club KV Kortrijk on a five-year deal last August and FAS see it as a lucrative form of long-term investment.

FAS secretary-general Dr Johan Kamal Hamidon said all six trainees would be given the best development post-AMD to help bring their game to the next level as well as prepare them for challenges abroad.

“These players are very talented, the best in the country in their age group at the moment. For the future of Selangor, of course, we want to groom all of them to be better players and someday send them to play abroad.

“To us, this (signing) is more of an investment in the next few years. We hope they take up the challenge and rise to the occasion and hopefully show their potential because there is still a long way to go for them to get ready even to play overseas,” he told Bernama today.

Yesterday, Bernama reported that 12 out of over 40 second-generation AMD graduates have signed contracts of between two and three years with Super League champions Johor Darul Ta’zim (JDT) and Selangor.

One of the squad’s best midfielders Ziad El Basheer and striker Muhammad Najmudin Akmal Kamal Akmal signed with JDT while defender Muhammad Faiz Amer Runnizar chose the Red Giants squad.

Johan Kamal said FAS had closely monitored the progress of all the six 17-year-old trainees before signing them.

“We have our own network and scouts that look into these players and how they have done in tournaments. We are happy with what we see and that’s why the scouts told us to go for these players,” he added.

Meanwhile, speaking about the potential of players to follow in the footsteps of Luqman Hakim, Johan Kamal said it is quite difficult for a young player to play abroad especially in Europe if not fully prepared.

He said young players needed more game time as well as match experience at the senior level before being exposed to the intensity of such games at the international level.

“Of course that’s what we want…we want to continue the aspiration of the programme but it’s not necessarily to play in Europe. Although talented they are still not ready and sometimes they need to be more mature in their game. So, we hope Selangor can play an important role in the players’ development,” he said.

— Bernama

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