Yusri gives younger players more opportunities - Kim Swee

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 11 -- Former national player Yusri Che Lah’s preference to give younger talents more opportunities is among the factors he has been selected as head coach of the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM)-National Sports Council (MSN) Project Squad.

FAM assistant technical director Datuk Ong Kim Swee said Yusri’s appointment was not a stop-gap measure, and had undergone a thorough evaluation process before being collectively decided on by the parties involved.

According to Kim Swee, Yusri's vast experience as a coach and national player also made him the right individual to guide the FAM-MSN Project Squad which was officially announced yesterday.

"Yusri's appointment is not just a regular appointment, we know he has had extensive experience before with young players. We can see in terms of statistics, Yusri brought on many young players when he was with Kelantan and the Kuala Lumpur team.

"I think this is a fairly accurate selection and Yusri has experience not only as a coach but also as a national player," he told reporters at the ceremony to announce the squad at Wisma FAM in Kelana Jaya.

Yusri had 42 caps with the national squad from 1997-2002, and played for local sides Perlis, Selangor and Perak, before retiring in 2007.

The native of Kangar, Perlis, who began his coaching career in 2009, has led the Perlis squad at the Presidential Cup and Malaysia Games (Sukma); MyKids team in the National Football Development Programme (NFDP); as well as Felcra FC, Kuala Lumpur and Kelantan.

In the FAM-MSN Project Squad, Yusri will be helped by assistant coaches Noor Zaidi Rohmat, Hamsani Ahmad (goalkeeping coach) and Nor Ikhmar Madarsa (phycial conditioning coach) with the support of sports science, medicine and technology staff from the National Sports Institute (ISN).

The FAM-MSN Project Squad is an effort to establish a career path for athletes under the NFDP, including graduates of the Mokhtar Dahari Academy (AMD) to help the country's young players make the transition to senior and professional levels in football.

-- BERNAMA