Latest news with #naturalisedPlayers
Free Malaysia Today
04-07-2025
- Sport
- Free Malaysia Today
Don't sideline locals in race for football glory, says Sarawak minister
Nine of Harimau Malaya's starting-11 in their 2027 Asian Cup qualifier against Vietnam last month were naturalised players. (Bernama pic) PETALING JAYA : Sarawak's sports minister has warned against having an overreliance on naturalised players in the Harimau Malaya squad, saying it could pose long-term risks to the growth of Malaysian football. While the rules under Fifa and the Football Association of Malaysia allow naturalised and heritage players to represent Malaysia, Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah said he was concerned about the impact this would have on the development of local talent. He acknowledged that the trend was also visible regionally, with Vietnam, Indonesia and the Philippines adopting similar approaches as eligibility rules are relaxed, Dayak Daily reported. 'Personally, I prefer to see our 'anak jati', the natives, representing Malaysia and Sarawak. 'Many of those currently representing Malaysia are based in Europe or Latin America. It will be difficult for us to keep the local football scene alive if we continue relying on players from outside,' he was quoted as saying. Karim said focus should be placed on developing a strong and sustainable grassroots ecosystem. 'We have to keep on looking at ourselves and build it up from the bottom,' he said. Last month, a new-look Harimau Malaya eased past reigning Asean Cup champions Vietnam 4-0 at the Bukit Jalil National Stadium, their first victory against the Golden Star Warriors in 11 years. Nine of the team's starting-11 were naturalised players, with five of them – Joao Figueiredo, Rodrigo Holgado, Jon Irazabal, Facundo Garces and Imanol Machuca – receiving Fifa clearance just hours before kick-off. FAM's policy of naturalising foreign players for the national team came under scrutiny from former national players last year, who argued that the national football body should focus on developing local talent rather than relying on foreign-born players. Currently, footballers whose parents are Malaysian or were born in Malaysia are eligible to join the national squad.
Free Malaysia Today
04-07-2025
- Sport
- Free Malaysia Today
No formal protests over Malaysia's naturalised players, says AFC
Nine of Malaysia's starting-11 in their match against Vietnam last month were naturalised players, with five of them receiving Fifa clearance just hours before kick-off. (Bernama pic) PETALING JAYA : The Asian Football Confederation has not received any official complaint regarding Malaysia's naturalised players following the national team's Asian Cup qualifier win against Vietnam last month. AFC general-secretary Windsor Paul told FMT that the status of naturalised players was ultimately a matter for the world football governing body, Fifa. 'The status of players comes under the purview of Fifa. From my side, AFC has not received any official protest. And even if we did, we will forward it to Fifa,' he said. This follows an Indonesian report claiming that Malaysia's 4-0 win over Vietnam on June 10 may be overturned because some of Harimau Malaya's naturalised players were purportedly ineligible to represent the nation. The report alleged that the result would be voided and Vietnam would be awarded a 3-0 win. It also said the Football Association of Malaysia could be fined up to US$2 million (RM9.4 million) and face further sanctions if Fifa finds evidence of document manipulation involving the heritage of players. FAM dismissed the report as baseless, saying it had complied with the necessary procedures for the registration of the players. Nine of the team's starting-11 in the game were naturalised players, with five of them – Joao Figueiredo, Rodrigo Holgado, Jon Irazabal, Facundo Garces and Imanol Machuca – receiving Fifa clearance just hours before kick-off.
Free Malaysia Today
11-06-2025
- Sport
- Free Malaysia Today
Extend Harimau Malaya's meritocratic principles to public sector leadership, says Zaid
Nine of Harimau Malaya's starting-11 in their 2027 Asian Cup qualifier against Vietnam last night were naturalised players. (Bernama pic) PETALING JAYA : Former law minister Zaid Ibrahim has questioned why merit-based policies in Malaysia cannot be applied to public sector leadership following Harimau Malaya's convincing win against Vietnam in a 2027 Asian Cup qualifier last night. A new-look Harimau Malaya eased past reigning Asean Cup champions Vietnam 4-0 in front of more than 61,000 fans at the Bukit Jalil National Stadium, their first victory against the Golden Star Warriors in 11 years. Nine of the team's starting-11 were naturalised players, with five of them – Joao Figueiredo, Rodrigo Holgado, Jon Irazabal, Facundo Garces and Imanol Machuca – receiving Fifa clearance just hours before kick-off. In a Facebook post, Zaid noted that a flexible naturalisation policy and deep pockets have allowed the Football Association of Malaysia to attract world-class players. 'I was astounded to read about the team's win over Vietnam. It was not so long ago that Malaysia was floundering at the bottom of the world rankings. We might soon win the World Cup,' he quipped. 'From the list of our players, I can only recognise two whom I would consider Malaysian. 'This brings me to the question: if we can transform football teams in that fashion, why not transform our political leaders, civil service, and GLC heads by enticing world-class expertise to prop up the country? 'Why are we so against merit-based policy in other, more critical fields? Why are they only limited to football?' The result solidifies Malaysia's spot at the top of the four-team Group F with three wins from as many matches. Harimau Malaya, who have yet to concede a goal in their qualifying campaign, will face Laos in their next match on Oct 9. Only the group winner will secure a spot in the 2027 Asian Cup, which is scheduled to take place in Saudi Arabia from Jan 7 to Feb 5, 2027. FAM's policy of naturalising foreign players for the national team came under scrutiny from former national players last year, who argued that the national football body should focus on developing local talent rather than relying on foreign-born players.
