NEW national football team chief executive officer (CEO) Robert Friend said, he is not here for short-term success but is hoping to create a lasting legacy for Harimau Malaya.
Friend, who officially began his duties at Wisma FAM yesterday, had described Harimau Malaya as a ‘sleeping giant,’ and said there are a lot of tools already in place here and is excited to work on growing the game in the country.
However, the former Canadia international is very curious why the national team is ranked 132nd in the world and why the youth team failed to qualify for the Asian Cup.
“Right now I am still in discovery phase...We need to understand the reasons. I think we have a lot of questions, from there we can start building plans, strategy and figure it out how we can bring long-term strategy.
“I am here to build a lasting sustainable model, which takes time. It is like building a house, we need to lay the foundation because, if you don’t build the foundation, it is not going to last.
“I am here to find the answers and work with all stakeholders for a successful football team and hopefully, one day see Malaysia in the World Cup, that’s my dream,” he said in a video shared in Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) social media.
Having short, medium and long-term goals, Friend admitted that, the outcome of the match against Nepal in the 2027 Asian Cup third round qualifiers on March 25 will be crucial in kick starting his ambitions.
The 44-year-old believes a positive result in the qualifiers can build the momentum for Harimau Malaya to reach future goals.
Friend, who has vast experience in football management and administration since his retirement as player in December 2014, said the main reason for him to take up the job was the Regent of Johor, Tunku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim’s vision and leadership for the national team.
He believes the combination of his expertise with that of the national head coach Peter Cklamovski, and head of high performance and sports medicine Dr Craig Duncan can steer Harimau Malaya towards greater success.
