Malaysian football is undergoing a major transformation. But amid the enthusiasm of fans eager for rapid progress, Rob Friend, CEO of Harimau Malaya, reminds everyone that a football revolution cannot happen overnight.
"We must be realistic, Malaysia is not Indonesia. Their population is much larger than Malaysia's and the Indonesians (diaspora) are spread across the world," said Friend in an interview published by Astro Arena (March 15).
Given these limitations, he stresses that building a strong foundation is far more important than chasing immediate results.
He likens the process to building Rome - something that takes time and patience. "Rome wasn't built in a day." As a result, Friend urges fans to understand that significant change within the national team is not something that can be achieved quickly.
He also stresses the need to keep expectations in line with reality. "The reality is, you can’t expect immediate changes. Unlike club football, where you can buy players and make instant adjustments."
For Friend, the project is not about pleasing fans. It is about creating a lasting legacy for Malaysian football.
He also highlights the challenges of arranging friendlies against world-class teams. "Big football federations demand high fees for these matches. We must focus on our main objective - improving our FIFA ranking. Malaysia must be strategic in choosing opponents."
While he would love to see Malaysia play top teams, Friend stresses that the changing global football landscape means that every decision must be carefully considered.
"Honestly, I'd love to see Malaysia face top teams because they bring star players. But the football landscape has changed, with tighter schedules, so we need to reassess our priorities and targets."
Awakening a Sleeping Giant
In another interview published by Harimau Malaya on March 13, Rob Friend stated that Malaysia is a "sleeping giant." He is optimistic about the potential the country possesses but emphasized that building a competitive national team takes time.
For him, change must start from the ground up. A strong league is the key, as the majority of national team players come from the Malaysia Super League.
Additionally, he stressed the importance of having a clear playing philosophy—from the youth level to the senior team—in order to establish continuity and a consistent playing identity.
His approach includes short-, medium-, and long-term goals, with a focus on building a solid foundation.
“I can make sure that we want to leave a legacy for the next person or group that takes over the project, and again that's going to take time. We need to build a foundation underneath the national team,” he said.
Therefore, he will focus on strengthening the fundamentals before pursuing bigger ambitions.
