SIPITANG: The controversy surrounding the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) and seven Malaysian heritage players accused of document falsification by Fifa’s Disciplinary Committee has reignited debate over the use of naturalised players versus local talent.
Former Sabah player Henry Saimpon, who has since entered politics, suggested that the Sabah Football Association (Safa) establish a Sabah Football League or revive the historic Borneo Cup to give sidelined Sabah FC players a second chance in their careers.
“The Borneo Cup once provided a strong platform for regional players. Reviving it would strengthen local football and offer players real opportunities to develop and showcase their skills,” he said.
The Borneo Cup was a football championship involving national teams from Brunei, Sabah (then North Borneo), and Sarawak, officially starting in 1962.
Supporting Henry’s call, veteran player Daim Layer, who represented Sabah in the Borneo Cup during the 1960s, said local players should again be prioritised for national selection.
Daim, 75, who played for Sipitang and Keningau between the 1960s and 1980s, said he used to play as a winger and sometimes as a midfielder.
“In our time, players didn’t think about rewards. What mattered was the fighting spirit for the team,” he said when met at his home in Kampung Menengah here on Tuesday.
He said he would like to see more homegrown players donning national colours, reminiscent of football legends Datuk James Wong and Datuk Hassan Sani, who led Malaysia to a historic 2-1 victory over South Korea to qualify for the 1980 Moscow Olympics, which the nation later boycotted.
North Borneo, now known as Sabah, was the inaugural Borneo Cup champion in 1962 and remains the most successful team in the tournament’s history, winning 13 titles, followed by Sarawak with seven and Brunei with four.
The Borneo Cup was discontinued in 1988, after which Brunei, Sabah, and Sarawak joined Malaysia’s Semi-Pro League the following year.
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