After FIFA's ruling, Malaysia still calls up 16 naturalized players to face Nepal

Coach Cklamovski has called up many naturalized players to get ready for the upcoming match versus Nepal in the Asian Cup 2027 qualifying round.

The Malaysian national team, led by Coach Peter Cklamovski, has just announced a list of 27 players gathering to prepare for the match against Nepal on November 18, as part of the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers.

This time, the "Malayan Tigers" squad list is not much different from the October gathering, featuring 16 naturalized players. Among them, defender Matthew Davies has been recalled after recovering from injury.

Additionally, a brand-new naturalized player called up by Malaysia this time is midfielder Ryan Lambert. Born in 1998, his father is English and his mother is of Chinese-Malaysian descent. Before moving to Southeast Asia to play, Ryan Lambert played in Australian and Dutch leagues.

Besides the seven players suspected of illegal naturalization, Coach Cklamovski still includes many familiar names such as Dion Cools, Dominic Tan, Endrick Santos, Arif Aiman, Faisal Halim...

Malaysian football is currently facing a major crisis following FIFA’s sanction over forged naturalization documents for seven players. Recently, the global football federation rejected the appeal from the Malaysian Football Association. However, the association is reportedly considering taking the case to the highest authority, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).

Recently, Argentine media have continuously presented evidence proving that FAM forged naturalization documents for seven players. These proofs show that two players, Facundo Gracía and Imanol Machuca, have no Malaysian ancestry or roots.

In the worst-case scenario, the "Malayan Tigers" are highly likely to be handed 0-3 losses in their previous matches against Nepal and Vietnam.

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