Malaysian football is in desperate need of a good story.
Embroiled in scandal after FIFA handed down hefty sanctions for what it claims was “doctored documentation” in order to claim eligibility for seven naturalised players, the reputation of football in the Southeast Asian nation has taken a global battering, with veteran journalist Haresh Deol even telling The Asian Game Podcast this was worse than the country’s infamous 1994 match fixing scandal.
But on Wednesday night, at the Sultan Ibrahim Stadium on the outer edges of Johor, the entire continent was reminded of all that is good in Malaysian football, and his name is Arif Aiman.
The 23-year-old dazzled for Johor Darul Ta’zim (JDT) as they brushed aside Chinese heavyweights Shanghai Shenhua, running out 3-1 victors thanks in large part to the brilliance of the pint-sized winger who was too hot to handle for the Shenhua defence.
It was another reminder, if any was needed, that he is good enough to be playing at a higher level and leaves JDT sitting second at the half way mark and on track for yet another knockout round appearance.
But as good and as important as he is for Xisco Muñoz’s side, now is the time for JDT to make the tough decision; it’s time to let him go.
It’s easy to see why they would want to keep hold of him, but rather than disappointment at losing their best player, they should see it as vindication and a celebration of their vision and project.
He is one of their own, developed through their academies and then moving on to bigger and better things for the betterment of Malaysian football.
Such is the dominance that JDT has in Malaysia, the league is no longer competitive in the way it needs to be to develop and maintain the level required for Arif to reach his true potential.
JDT have won each of the past 11 seasons, and in the past three seasons have won the quadruple on each occasion; being the Malaysian Super League, Charity Shield, Malaysia Cup and FA Cup.
In the past three seasons they’ve won the league without dropping a single game and nine games into this season have won all nine, scoring 48 (at an average of more than five per game) and conceding just three.
As impressive as their dominance is, it doesn’t provide the challenging environment a player like Arif needs to take his game to a level we all know he is capable of reaching.
Only through their fortnightly exploits in the AFC Champions League Elite are they properly tested, coming up against clubs from stronger leagues such as Japan and Korea, and it is on this stage that he has shone brightest in recent times, enough to earn him a nomination for the AFC Player of the Year Award last month.
But is eight-to-ten quality games each year enough? The answer is quite clearly, no. The JDT academy product has developed as much as he is going to in a JDT kit; now it is time to see how far he can take his talents.
Understandably, JDT have taken great care with their prized asset. They’ve been aware of his special talent from the moment they laid eyes on him.
“(Former U17 coach) Gonzalo (Sanz) called me straight away and said there was a kid here who is special,” JDT technical director, Alistair Edwards, previously told The Asian Game.
“We came back to the club, watched the game and we were convinced, so we signed him up straight away. He’s been our best player. He went though our under-18, under-19, under-21, JDT II teams and straight to the first team all in 18 months, he was that good.”
He continued: “Every challenge thats put in front of him, he takes it in his stride. I always say it’s great that we have all these international players, but Arif is probably our most consistent player for the past three years.
“When you have a local player come through the JDT academy, on par with the foreign players we have here, it’s really special.
“In our really tough games he is our go-to player. He’s the one that provides the assists or scores the goals.”
It’s not that they haven’t previously received any offers for him, there have been plenty that have come across their desks, but at his tender age they had always maintained that it was best for him to remain at JDT in an environment that still allowed him to flourish, with Edwards previously telling The Asian Game they would be selective with when and where they allowed Arif to leave to ensure it was to his benefit.
Almost two years on from those comments, however, the equation has changed. At 23 he is no longer a developing talent still in need of nurturing. As evidenced by his performances, he is developed and able to compete, technically and physically, against bigger bodied opponents in the bigger leagues of Asia.
There is already a blueprint for him to follow in the form of Chanathip Songkrasin.
The diminutive Thai playmaker was also 23 when he left Thailand for greener pastures in Japan, having gone as far as he could domestically before he risked plateauing and stagnating.
Across seven seasons in Japan with Consadole Sapporo and Kawasaki Frontale, he not only took his game to a new level, but also became one of the best players in the league, named in the J.League’s Team of the Season in 2018.
At the AFC Annual Awards last month, alongside fellow Player of the Year nominees Salem Al-Dawsari and Akram Afif, who are setting the standard for Asian-based players, he appeared aware of needing to go to a higher level.
“It’s just the beginning for me,” he said.
“I must learn a lot of football, and I see Salem and Akram as my role models. I want to play in high level competitions with high pressure and to have the responsibility to play in internationals.”
Now is his time.
Listen to Episode 260 of The Asian Game Podcast as we unpack Malaysia’s naturalisation scandal
