A1 League ready to step up
KUALA LUMPUR: Many feared that when the second-tier Premier League was scrapped three years ago, it would further erode Malaysian football development.
That may not be the case. The signs so far are looking positive for the revamped domestic league structure.
The 16-team A1 Semi Pro League for the 2025-2026 season will feature South Korea's FC Seoul Phoenix, Kedah FC, Johor Darul Ta'zim II, Selangor FC II, Kelantan WTS FC, Perak FA, Kedah FA and Kelantan Red Warriors.
The Premier League was replaced by the A1 Semi-Pro League (which moved up from the third-tier) in 2022.
Sports analyst Datuk Dr Pekan Ramli said while it is encouraging to see a healthy number of teams in the A1 Semi Pro League, strong enforcement and monitoring is needed.
"The number of teams in the A1 Semi Pro League shows that it can be as exciting as the Super League, especially for the teams that failed to get a licence to play in the Super League," said Pekan.
"If things go well in the A1 League, it can play a positive role in the Malaysian football structure in the absence of a second-tier competition after the cancellation of the Premier League.
"Fans of the teams that are not playing in the Super League, can now support their teams in the A1 League and this can continue being a platform for the players as well."
Pekan said although the A1 League is a semi-pro competition, proper monitoring is still needed to prevent issues of unpaid salaries.
Last season, several teams were reportedly facing financial problems which resulted in poor performances in the A1 Semi-Pro League.
"The AFL has its own licensing process which is less stringent compared to Super League licensing, so I believe it won't be too difficult for the teams," said Pekan.
"Last season, we saw some teams starting well but ended up badly after facing financial issues. We cannot let this happen again this season, the monitoring of the team's finances must be strict and issues must be nipped in the bud."
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