Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) has officially confirmed that all five of the national team’s newly naturalised heritage players have received FIFA’s full clearance and are eligible to play tonight in a crucial clash against Vietnam at the Bukit Jalil National Stadium.
The green light from FIFA paves the way for Facundo Garcés, Imanol Machuca, Jon Irazabal, João Figueiredo, and Rodrigo Holgado to make their official debuts for Harimau Malaya under head coach Peter Cklamovski, as Malaysia faces Vietnam in their second Group F match of the 2027 AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers.
Their inclusion is seen as a significant boost to Malaysia’s ambitions of qualifying for Asia’s premier football tournament, with each player expected to reinforce key areas of the squad with experience and technical quality.
Tonight’s showdown at Bukit Jalil promises to be a high-stakes encounter, and the debut of these five players could prove decisive as Harimau Malaya look to stake their claim for a place in the 2027 Asian Cup in Saudi Arabia.
Credit Photo : FAM
