Malaysia’s rise to 10th in the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Club Competition Rankings signals growing competitiveness among the country’s football clubs on the Asian stage, according to Malaysian Football League (MFL) president Datuk Ab Ghani Hassan.
He said the improved ranking reflected the stronger performances of Malaysian clubs in continental competitions, with Johor Darul Ta’zim (JDT) among the key contributors through its consistent appearances in Asia’s elite competitions, Bernama reported.
“This development is very important because we know how to assess a league. Secondly, it shows the acceptance of our league by the global community, particularly Asia, and demonstrates that our league has potential and is becoming an attractive option for players to compete in,” he told reporters after the Exchange of Sponsorship Agreement Documents ceremony between Bubbles O2 and MFL here today.
Also present were Bubbles O2 executive chairman Datuk Arifin Marzuki, Bubbles O2 chief executive officer Abdul Aziz Arifin and MFL chief executive officer Mohd Shazli Shaik Mohd.
Based on Footy Rankings, Malaysia accumulated 40.809 points from the performances of its representatives in Asian club competitions last season, moving up from 11th to 10th in Asia after overtaking China.
Ab Ghani said the improved ranking could create more opportunities for Malaysian clubs to compete at the highest level in Asia.
However, he stressed that clubs must have clear and sustainable plans to continue raising the standard of domestic football and build on the progress made at the continental level.
