MYS
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KUALA LUMPUR: To validate the inclusion of 14 naturalized players (comprising heritage and foreign-born individuals), the national football team needs to demonstrate their worth by advancing at least to the second round of the ongoing AFC Asian Cup in Qatar.
This perspective is shared by Malaysian sports experts who were queried about the substantial reliance on naturalized players within the national squad.
Notably, Malaysia boasts the highest count of naturalized players compared to all other teams participating in the Asian Cup.
According to Effendi Jagan Abdullah, a licensed FIFA match and player agent, the utilization of naturalized players has become a prevalent practice for countries seeking a rapid solution to bolster their teams.
I think we should at least be reaching the second round, said Effendi when contacted by MB5 Malaysia today.
It would be different if we have only two or three naturalised players in the squad, but we have 14 which is more than enough to fill in the first 11. My view is that the use of naturalised players has become a trend now. Everybody is looking for a quick fix. If it works out then it is good for these countries, but if it doesn't it will demoralise the local players who are not getting a chance to play for their national team.
Effendi emphasized that a limited number of Asian countries are actively recruiting high-caliber naturalized players. Additionally, he underscored the significance of age as a determining factor in this process.
At the moment, only teams such as Qatar and United Arab Emirates (UAE) are actually going for quality naturalised players. As for our own (naturalised) players, some of them are better than our own local players but for the most part I don't see anybody who is truly outstanding yet. Romel Morales, who I represent, has yet to earn his first cap. We should be looking more closely at their backgrounds and see the quality of the leagues they have been playing in previously. Age is also important, if we use players who are in their early to mid 30s, they won't last very long. Singapore went on this path a few years ago (utilising aging naturalised players) and where are they now?
Effendi emphasized the importance of conducting a study to comprehensively grasp the enduring effects of incorporating naturalized players into the national team.
We have to take into account the overall picture and conduct a study on this. The national team reflects the level of quality our national league has and its ability to produce players. I personally would like to see a fair amount of local players being given their chance in the national team. I think seven local players and four naturalised players in the first eleven would be a fair ratio.
In Group E of the Asian Cup, Malaysia is scheduled to kick off their campaign against Jordan on Monday. Subsequently, they will face Bahrain on January 20 and South Korea.
National team naturalised players (including heritage and foreign-born): Corbin Ong (Barbados), Dion Cools (Belgium), Brendan Gan (Australia), Stuart Wilkin (England), Dominic Tan (Singapore), Matthew Davies (Australia), Natxo Insa (Spain), Daniel Ting (England), Junior Eldstal (Sweden), Darren Lok (England), Mohamadou Sumareh (Gambia), Edrick Dos Santos (Brazil), Romel Morales (Spain), Paulo Josue (Brazil).
