AFC comments on the possibility of 7 naturalized Malaysian players facing Vietnam national team

The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has officially addressed the potential return of 7 naturalized Malaysian players to represent their national team in matches.

The status of the 7 naturalized players from Malaysia regarding their eligibility to rejoin the national team has been officially clarified by the AFC. This matter was mentioned by AFC Secretary General, Datuk Seri Windsor Paul John, during a press conference following the 5th special Executive Committee meeting of the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) for the 2025–2029 term, held at the FAM headquarters on January 28.

Mr. Windsor stated that the AFC is still awaiting complete detailed information from the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) concerning this issue. He said: “At present, the AFC is collaborating with FIFA to gather comprehensive details about the decision from the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). So far, we have only received a brief document from FIFA about the status of the seven naturalized Malaysian players, which mentions the possibility of their return to play.”

The AFC Secretary General also emphasized that the situation of these seven players regarding their reappearance in the Malaysian national team remains unclear. Mr. Windsor added: “What is certain now is that these 7 players are allowed to return to play for their club teams. However, we are still waiting for FIFA to provide full clarification on whether they are eligible to represent the national team.”

These statements from the AFC come in the context of the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) recently approving a request to temporarily suspend the sanctions against the 7 naturalized Malaysian players. Specifically, on the evening of January 26, FAM confirmed that CAS allowed players Facundo Garcés, Rodrigo Holgado, Imanol Machuca, João Figueiredo, Gabriel Palmero, Jon Irazabal, and Héctor Hevel to temporarily resume playing while awaiting the final verdict.

Notably, the AFC also pointed out that CAS’s permission for the 7 naturalized Malaysian players to temporarily return to club competition does not mean the issue has been fully resolved. Additionally, this decision does not directly affect Malaysia’s past match results, including whether any of their games will be forfeited.