The alarm bells are ringing at the Sultan Ibrahim Stadium! Johor Darul Ta’zim (JDT) CEO Luis Garcia has issued a blistering reality check to the Malaysian football fraternity, warning that the nation’s prestigious spots in Asian club competitions are on thin ice.
Despite JDT’s heroics in reaching the AFC Champions League Elite Round of 16, Garcia revealed that the club is single-handedly carrying Malaysia’s coefficient—and the “Southern Tiger Carry” is being dragged down by the lack of support from other M-League sides.
The statistics are a stinging indictment of the rest of the Malaysian League. JDT has contributed over 70% of Malaysia’s Member Association (MA) points, but the AFC’s mathematical formula is acting like an anchor on the Southern Tigers’ progress.
Because total points are divided by the total number of competing teams from each nation, JDT’s elite-level success is being “diluted” by the poor results of other Malaysian representatives in the AFC Champions League Two.
“We’re not sure how long Malaysia’s MA ranking can sustain with only JDT contributing majority of the points,” Garcia stated. “We have contributed over 70%… but some countries in East Asia are either catching up or pulling away.”
The most painful reality check in Garcia’s statement? Malaysia is losing ground to its closest rivals.
Singapore & Indonesia: Both nations have out-collected Malaysia this season because they have two teams contributing points.
Thailand & Australia: These powerhouses are pulling further ahead because their teams are working “collectively” to boost their national ranking.
Credit Photo : Jayden Seah/SNE-Photo
