National coach need not be a foreigner - Khairy

The National football coach need not be a foreigner, said Youth and Sports Minister Khairy Jamaluddin.

The Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) should instead be open in its quest to name a coach to replace Dollah Salleh who quit after the National squad's 0-10 defeat to the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

"The process of selecting the coach must be done through an open selection...but I will not interfere because it is their prerogative to choose a coach. My opinion is to have an open selection.

"However, we must look at who the candidates are and how they can transform the national team through their coaching," he told reporters when asked about the selection of a National coach since Dollah had called it quits on Sept 4 after the biggest defeat in Malaysian football history.

The FAM had through its official website said the post of National coach would be filled by December 2015, adding that interested coaches, both local and foreign, can apply.

After Dollah's exit, the FAM appointed Datuk Ong Kim Swee as the interim coach until a new coach is named.