KUALA LUMPUR – National under-16 football head coach Javier Jorda Ribera feels no pressure and believes he is on the right track to lead his team to the 2025 AFC U17 Asian Cup.
The Spaniard’s response comes after national under-16 manager Christopher Raj, who has held the position since 2021, pledged to step down if his side fails to qualify for the Asian tournament finals.
The qualifiers for the 2025 AFC U17 Asian Cup in Saudi Arabia will see Malaysia grouped with Laos, the United Arab Emirates, and Lebanon.
The national under-16 team last competed in the U17 Asian Cup in 2023 in Thailand.
Since joining in May, Ribera, who previously served as youth coach and academy manager of Johor Darul Ta’zim (JDT), selected 23 players from 161 candidates across states and clubs.
The squad is primarily composed of players from Akademi Mokhtar Dahari (AMD) and JDT. These players participated in the recently concluded AFF U16 Boys’ Championship.
Malaysia were drawn in Group C alongside Thailand, East Timor, and Australia for the 19th edition of the tournament, finishing with three points.
In the 2022 edition, Malaysia finished with five points in a group featuring Myanmar, Cambodia, and Australia but failed to advance to the next round.
Speaking to Scoop, Ribera said that through his team’s participation in the AFF tournament, he has gained a better understanding of his squad and believes they will improve over time.
“I don’t feel pressured to perform because I know what I’m doing and I’m on the right track. People want results, and my coaching team and I are doing our best to achieve our targets.
“I will ensure that our players perform their best in the group we are assigned to. We already have some data on the Laos team, as many of their players come from the under-14 and under-15 teams.
“The players didn’t have enough game time before the AFF tournament, but I believe they will improve with more matches from the ongoing Youth Cup and other tournaments.
“We now know our level, and we need to work harder to improve in the coming days,” Ribera said when contacted.
Ribera also expressed hope that the proposal by Football Association of Malaysia technical director Scott O’Donnell to establish a Malaysia under-15 and under-16 football league will be implemented to diversify and strengthen the talent pool for Malaysia’s national teams.
“As a national coach, I agree with O’Donnell’s proposal. We don’t have enough competition in the country, which is concerning.
“His proposal makes sense because it will allow us to incorporate players from different generations into the national team, ensuring a smoother transition.
“This is also a great opportunity for us to find more players and expand the pool, enabling us to build a team capable of qualifying for the FIFA U-17 World Cup.
“It’s not impossible, but we need to start somewhere if we hope to achieve more in the years to come,” Ribera added. – July 6, 2024