Malaysia's coach seeks new players after losing 7 naturalized players, preparing to face the Vietnamese national team

Malaysian national team players will be given time with their families during the Hari Raya festivities before gathering for the national team to prepare for the important match against Vietnam on March 31 in the 2027 Asian Cup qualification round.

Head coach Peter Cklamovski stated that the national team's intensive training camp will commence on March 23, which is also the first day of the FIFA international window.

This period falls on the third or fourth day of the Hari Raya celebration, so the players will have approximately 2–3 days off to be with their families.

"The weekend before the national team gathering still has domestic league matches on Saturday and Sunday, so the players will assemble on Monday, March 23," Cklamovski said in an interview with Timesport.

"This allows them a few days during Hari Raya to be with their families before joining the national team, which is very important to me."

Malaysia will be the visiting team at Thien Truong Stadium in the final match of Group F in the qualifying round.

Some players may join the camp earlier depending on their club schedules, but Cklamovski emphasized that preparation standards remain a crucial factor in the plan.

The Australian coach is closely monitoring domestic leagues and also hinted that there might be new faces in the upcoming national team squad.

"There will be some new players considered based on their form and readiness to play.

It is important to create competition within the squad and give opportunities to players who are performing well."

Mr. Cklamovski also mentioned the need to upgrade the national football infrastructure, following rumors that the Malaysian team might base themselves in Bangkok before the match against Vietnam.

"If we can improve the facilities and infrastructure, the national team could train in various regions across the country throughout the year.

Currently, that is quite difficult because we have to ask: Is the pitch good enough? Are the changing rooms up to standard?"

Coach Cklamovski believes that upgrading training pitches and stadium facilities will help elevate the standard of domestic football.

"Better facilities benefit not only the national team but also the domestic league. If players train and play on better pitches every day, the quality of football will improve. That creates a better product for the fans."

The Malaysian coach also stated that a better matchday environment could help attract spectators back to the stadiums and bring more investment into football.

After CAS dismissed FAM's appeal, the Asian Football Confederation's (AFC) Disciplinary and Ethics Committee has stepped in.

Before the final Asian Cup qualifier takes place, the AFC could annul the two victories achieved by the Malaysian team, led by coach Peter Cklamovski, against Nepal and Vietnam in the Asian Cup qualifiers, awarding wins to the opponents and deducting points in the qualifiers.

Elimination from the qualifying campaign, with the possibility of even being barred from participating in future qualifiers post-2027.

Officials involved in document forgery could face suspension from football activities and be banned from holding administrative roles.

The related clubs could face repercussions in the AFC Champions League Elite (ACLE) or ACL2, such as point deductions or result annulments.