Malaysia withdraws from Central Asian tournament due to lack of naturalized players

(NLDO) - The Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) confirmed that it will not participate in the Central Asian Football Tournament - CAFA Nations Cup 2025 due to not being able to summon the strongest force.

According to FAM, many naturalized players playing in Spain, Argentina, Colombia and Japan cannot return to join the national team because the organizers moved the match up a few days, causing the match schedule to fall outside of FIFA Days, from August 29 to September 8, instead of September 1 to 9.

What Happens to the Score?

This forced Malaysia to use only domestic players and their competitiveness was significantly reduced, at the same time potentially risking a drop in the FIFA rankings. Faced with this situation, FAM was forced to withdraw to preserve their achievements and ensure their long-term plans.

Malaysia were drawn in the same group as Iran, Tajikistan and Afghanistan and confirmed their participation on June 23, before withdrawing at the last minute. If they continue to participate and make it through the group stage, they will face strong opponents such as Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan or Oman in the next round.

Lack of naturalized players makes Malaysia afraid to face Central Asian teams

That makes the country's Football Federation concerned that without the strongest squad, participating in the tournament no longer has strategic significance.

Head coach Peter Cklamovski admitted that this was a difficult but necessary decision, in order to best prepare for the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers in October and November. He also frankly said that over-reliance on naturalized players is causing many problems, both professionally and in public opinion.

Despite making a strong impression with their victory over Vietnam in June, this decision shows that Malaysia is still not confident enough to reach higher goals in the continental arena.

Source: https://nld.com.vn/malaysia-so-thua-rut-khoi-giai-trung-a-vi-thieu-cau-thu-nhap-tich-196250716191309853.htm