Azraai's Catch-22 situation

KEDAH coach Azraai Khor Abdullah (pic) had better expect the call for it, if it already hasn't, will surely come - the one offering him the job of national football coach. It shouldn't surprise him for it is only natural that the FA of Malaysia makes the offer to the most successful local coach in recent history. So successful that he guided Kedah to back-to-back trebles, raising his stock considerably, but the former national player has a crucial decision to make - to take the offer or say no. It is a job every local coach should aspire for but for the fact that FAM is in the market for a sixth national coach since 2000. Azraai has been on FAM's radar for a while now and he was offered the Under-23 squad preparing for the Laos Sea Games. Azraai declined as he felt K. Rajagopal should have a shot as he knows the players better. However, this is the national team job and with FAM president Sultan Ahmad Shah having stated he prefers a local to replace the sacked B. Sathianathan, it will be difficult for Azraai to say no. If anything, he is a victim of his own success, one that he knows he won't be able to repeat with the national team, especially in the Asian Cup qualifier. Malaysia's campaign is as good as over, thanks to the 5-0 thrashing by the United Arab Emirates, as far as the 2011 Asian Cup is concerned and a more reasonable target for Azraai, should he decide to take the job, will be the Merdeka Tournament in August. Even that could be difficult and Azraai must, and he has to take the job for there are no other candidates and hiring a foreigner will be a waste of money, tell FAM to set reasonable targets. It is Azraai, and not FAM, who must dictate terms for at the end of the day, it will be the coach who gets the boot