Rajagobal's contract will not be extended - FAM

The Football Association of Malaysia today announced that the contract of National head coach Datuk K. Rajagobal will not be extended when it expires on Dec 31.

The decision was made at the FAM Executive Committee meeting chaired by the FAM President Sultan Ahmad Shah at Wisma FAM in Kelana Jaya, today.

FAM vice president Datuk Seri Subahan Kamal said Harimau Muda A (National Under-23 squad) head coach Datuk Ong Kim Swee, 42, has been appointed as the caretaker coach for the National squad or also known as Harimau Malaya, once his Myanmar SEA Games assignment was over, next month.

"To raise the standard of football in the country, there is a need to give other coaches an opportunity," he told reporters after the meeting.

Subahan added that the FAM had also short listed a number of candidates to replace Rajagobal.

"It the appointment of a new coach takes time, Kim Swee will continue to manage the team for the National squad's final match in the Asia Cup Qualifier against Yemen, in March.

"However, we hope to find a replacement for Rajagobal before the match against Yemen," said Subahan.

Among Rajagobal's notable achievement as the National coach was to end the country's 20-year gold medal drought in the sport by winning the gold medal at the Laos SEA Games in 2009 and later the AFF Suzuki Cup in 2010 when the tournament was jointly organised by Vietnam and Indonesia.

Qualifying for the 2015 Asia Cup was the key target set by the FAM for the 57-year-old Rajagobal but Malaysia which was drawn in Group D are currently in third place with four points.