She oozed confidence, speaking passionately about ‘the beautiful game’ in Jordan.
That was the eloquence of Jordanian Soleen Al-Zoubi in an Asian Football Confederation (AFC) ‘It’s My Game’ campaign video in 2020.
Soleen is no longer with the Jordan FA. She is now based at the FA of Malaysia’s (FAM) headquarters in Kelana Jaya, some 20km from the heart of the capital city, Kuala Lumpur.
It’s been only 16 days since Soleen occupied two crucial seats in Wisma FAM – the national women’s coach, and head of the women’s football unit in the national body.
She is scheduled to hold her first press conference at Wisma FAM today, at 11am.
Already, there are conversations as to whether the former footballer will be left heartbroken and end her stint in Malaysia prematurely.
Malaysia seems to be fixated with hiring foreign experts. While some were worth their salt, others proved to be a sheer waste of resources.
The good signings are often left frustrated by the lack of commitment and constant interference by their higher-ups.
Millions, if not billions of ringgit, have been spent on Malaysian football over the decades. Yet, the standard of play of the men’s team remains inconsistent, as the Harimau Malaya (Malayan Tiger) struggles to dominate in Southeast Asia.
The women’s team – nicknamed Malayan Tigress – suffer an even sadder fate.
Now here comes Soleen, who is able to relate to the situation in Malaysia.
Growing up with three brothers, Soleen had gone on record to say that she lived in a “conservative and patriarchal society”, to “play a stereotypical female in Jordan”.
Most of the Malaysian women’s national footballers grew up playing the sport with their brothers or other boys from their taman (neighbourhoods).
In the 2020 AFC video, Soleen said after she was named technical director of the women’s football team in Jordan, she found that many things needed restructuring.
The same can, once again, be said about Malaysia – despite the fact that it now has a women’s “league”. Players describe the league as basically a month-long tournament at the state-level, and a week-long carnival at the national level. Period.
Football is said to be Malaysia’s No. 1 sport. But most public schools in the country do not have a girls’ football team.
In fact, most girls in Malaysia are only exposed to football if their parents sign them up with private football academies. The numbers, sadly, are minuscule. Also, not all of them can afford the monthly fees.
The women’s version of the sport is often overlooked and ignored. This is not a problem exclusive to Malaysia, but there have not been adequate steps taken to address the various gaps between the boys and girls, and the men and women who play the sport.
Soleen will also find that the infrastructure seems ‘blind’ toward girls and women in sports. Public toilets or changing rooms are almost non-existent at most public playing fields. Conversations about creating safe and comfortable spaces must make their way to the ears of the local councils.
Hopefully, Soleen will not have to deal with an incessant and unrelenting stream of “No’s” and “Waits”. She may also learn that some initiatives may look good on paper, but have little impact on the ground.
She may find herself ‘kowtowing’ to certain individuals who know nothing about football.
If change is the game, there should be zero interference in how Soleen runs her programmes. However, KPIs must be set and expectations managed.
Ideally, Soleen should be working closely with the Education Ministry, rather than be surrounded by bureaucrats, clad in suits and ties and pantsuits, at Wisma FAM. The change should start at the schools, by getting girls’ football to be part of the curriculum.
Soleen should also see that the game is participated by women at all levels – from administrative, to coaching, and refereeing. Football isn’t just about being a footballer.
A closed-door nine-aside match among women footballers this weekend will give Soleen a sneak peek into the standard of play among the Malaysian players. Hopefully, her enthusiasm will not be dampened.
Malaysians hunger for progress in sports. Generally, the nation is still waiting for that elusive Olympic gold medal. As for football, fans want to stop talking about the “glorious” past and see the national team emulate Morocco’s magical adventure in the FIFA World Cup.
For the girls, it’s all about being given equal opportunity to play the sport. That itself will be a great start.
As Soleen said in the AFC video: “My advice to every girl is to follow her dreams, and that football has a big future”.
It’s time for the guardians of the sport to facilitate this dream and help realise the “big future” that football has to offer.