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Malaysian football expert Zakaria Rahim has called for the country's national team head coach Peter Cklamovski to step down following a 1-3 defeat to Vietnam in the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers.
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Coach Peter Cklamovski during Malaysia's 1-3 loss to Vietnam in the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers at Thien Truong Stadium, Ninh Binh Province, on March 31, 2026. Photo by VnExpress/Hieu Luong |
Rahim, a former Selangor FC coach and an experienced football observer, believes the recent loss fully exposed Cklamovski's shortcomings. He argued that the Australian coach failed to make any impact without the squad's seven naturalized players, who are currently serving a one-year ban for paperwork falsification.
"Cklamovski did well when he had these players, but failed without them, and it showed that he wasn’t a good coach," Rahim told Astro Arena and emphasized that a coach's true authority is demonstrated by their ability to elevate a team, rather than simply relying on available personnel.
Rahim compared Cklamovski to his predecessor, Kim Pan-gon. He noted that Kim helped Malaysia make a significant impact on the continental stage, including a 3-3 draw against South Korea at the 2023 Asian Cup, despite lacking good players.
According to Rahim, Kim was good at inspiring players and effectively organizing play, which are the factors that Cklamovski currently falls short.
The criticism emerged less than a day after Malaysia’s 1-3 loss to Vietnam at Thien Truong Stadium on Tuesday.
The match was viewed as a real test for Cklamovski’s tactical ability without his seven naturalized stars.
Cklamovski was appointed in late 2024, replacing Kim, who unexpectedly resigned despite having time remaining on his contract.
Under Kim's tenure, Malaysia significantly improved their performances and qualified for the Asian Cup after over four decades of waiting.
The Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) hired Cklamovski, hoping to continue that improvement. However, recent results have failed to meet expectations.
In 10 matches leading the national team, Cklamovski technically won seven, drew one and lost two. However, because FIFA and the Asian Football Confederation handed Malaysia 0-3 forfeit losses in five of those matches due to the naturalization scandal, the 47-year-old coach's official record now stands at just three wins and seven losses.
Rahim also opposed the current operational structure of the national team. He called for dissolving the team's status as a separate entity and returning full management control to FAM.
For some time, the Malaysia national team have operated relatively independently.
According to the team's CEO, Rob Friend, FAM handles administration, legal matters and player registration, while he and his colleagues are responsible for professional strategy, performance, sports medicine and logistics.
However, this management model has sparked controversy. In a FIFA document related to the naturalization scandal, Friend admitted that he only served in an advisory role and primarily worked remotely from Canada. This revelation led the public to question the transparency and efficiency of the team's structure.
Football critic Pekan Ramli shared these sentiments, arguing that the CEO position is unnecessary.
Ramli pointed out that remote working is unsuitable for top-level international football, emphasizing that a squad in crisis requires continuous, direct and on-site management, according to New Straits Times.
Cklamovski, 47, was formerly an assistant coach for the Australia national team under Ange Postecoglou, before following him to Japan. Cklamovski then coached Japanese clubs such as Shimizu S-Pulse, Montedio Yamagata and FC Tokyo, before arriving in Malaysia.
His contract with FAM will expire at the end of this year.
