Harimau Malaya Set To Welcome Dutch-Malaysian Star As Passport Process Nears Completion

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 28 (Bernama) -- The process of securing a Malaysian passport for a mixed-heritage football player from the Netherlands is currently in its final stages.

Chief Executive Officer of Harimau Malaya, Rob Friend, said in a statement today that they hope the process will be completed before the 2027 Asian Cup Qualifiers kicks off this March.

"Having a wider selection pool with these mixed-heritage players will significantly boost our aspirations of taking Harimau Malaya to the next level," he said.

Meanwhile, Friend said the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) was equally committed to investing in the development of domestic players at all levels of football nationwide.

He said while naturalisation is among the key components of our strategy, they also understand the importance of nurturing homegrown talent to ensure sustainable success for the national team.

"Our goal is to create a balanced and competitive squad that represents the pride and passion of Malaysian football," he said.

Earlier, the Regent of Johor Tunku Mahkota Ismail Sultan Ibrahim announced that six to seven heritage players had been identified to represent Malaysia.

Tunku Mahkota Ismail hoped that the government would facilitate the process of obtaining Malaysian passports so that the players could feature for Harimau Malaya in the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers starting this March.

The national team, under the guidance of new head coach Peter Cklamovski, will kick off their 2027 Asian Cup Qualifiers campaign with their first Group F match against Nepal on March 25.

-- BERNAMA