Malaysia targets young players to improve national team

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 3 (Reuters) Malaysia has made it mandatory for clubs to field young players in a bold bid to improve the country's struggling national team.

The Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) said elite Super League and second-tier Premier League clubs must play at least one Under-21 player for the entire duration of each domestic match in the coming season.

''FAM took this decision and it has the agreement of all the state FAs as well as the Police and Armed Forces teams,'' competitions committee chairman Che Mat Jusoh was quoted as saying on national news agency Bernama.

The FAM wants to develop th skills of young players for the national team, which performed poorly at this year's Asian Cup by losing all three group matches on home soil.

The 2007-08 season starts in November with 12 Super League teams and 10 clubs contesting the Premier League.

REUTERS ssc ht0945