PETALING JAYA: The appointment of Soleen Al-Zou’bi as the new head coach of the National women’s squad (Malayan Tigress) is part of a plan to further develop the women’s football scene in the country.
Al-Zou’bi is expected to join the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) at its headquarters in Kelana Jaya on Dec 1. Currently attached to the Jordan Football Association (JFA) as the head of the Women’s Football Unit and assistant technical director, she will be the first foreign coach to lead the team.
FAM Women’s Football Committee chairman Datuk Suraya Yaacob said the presence of Al-Zou’bi as head coach would be the catalyst to promote more women in the sports ecosystem.
“Her appointment would give national players the exposure they need to polish their skills. It is also part of the Women’s Football Development Plan 2030, that I have yet to launch,” said Suraya.
She expressed hope that Al-Zou’bi’s presence would nurture more women coaches to train other categories, such as Under-17, Under-19, World qualifiers and Commonwealth qualifiers, as there will be four championships the team will participate next year.
“At the local level, we do not have licensed women coaches to take the lead for the senior team, but we have many to take on other teams. We have one coach, but she does not have the licence to take on the national team.”
Suraya said the women’s football development plan 2030 aims to empower women’s football teams by encouraging the participation of more women in sports from the grassroots level.
Apart from recruiting more women players, the plan will be in place to foster more women to take part in different roles, such as coaches, referees, physiologists and officers.
“A great team cannot be shaped overnight, a lot needs to be done. From my observation, having a great team would take about five years. Currently, the team that we have between 17 and 18 years old is good, but we want to have a better team in the future,” she said.
Malaysia National Team captain Steffi Sarge Kaur told theSun that the presence of Al-Zou’bi as the new head coach for Malayan Tigress is a good decision, especially considering her previous experiences as head coach and former national player in Jordan.
“We want the best for our women’s football team, and I would love to see some changes and development in our football scene, even more now that we have Al-Zou’bi, who will also be the women’s football technical director.
“I think we have to give coaches, regardless local or foreign our trust. I believe that the coaches have more experience in this field, so all we need to do is complete the given task,” she said.
Asian Football Confederation secretary-general Datuk Seri Windsor John said having Al-Zou’bi as coach will be an opportunity to develop the women’s team.
On making Malaysia’s women’s football team a champion, he said: “We won’t know if we don’t try. It certainly starts with proper development from the grassroots level.”
