The 4-0 win over Vietnam in the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers, which featured nine naturalized players of Malaysian descent, has sparked debate in local media. Some fans expressed disappointment that many players were born and raised abroad, while native players were not valued.

However, football analyst Afizal Abu Othman defended the approach and gave credit to Tunku Mahkota Ismail, the Crown Prince of Johor and chairman of Johor Darul Ta’zim (JDT), Malaysia’s most successful club, with 10 straight league titles from 2014 to 2023.

Ismail has been instrumental in bringing players with Malaysian origins into the national team, even when they have never lived in the country.

Following the victory over Vietnam, the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) even published a special note thanking Ismail for his contribution.

“Honestly, I know some in the football community are not fond of Ismail’s strategy,” Othman said in an interview with Daily. “But people need to see the national team’s progress positively, as long as everything is in line with FIFA’s regulations.”

Othman, who is the head of Sports Center at the University of Malaya, believes FAM and Ismail should continue seeking eligible players of Malaysian descent to strengthen the national team.

“Malaysian fans crave victory, especially against regional rivals like Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam,” he noted. “Japan have successfully integrated many mixed-blood players and are now one of the world’s top teams. Malaysia are heading in that direction too, although Indonesia are a little bit ahead.”

Former Malaysian football legend Jamal Nasir also endorsed Ismail’s vision.

“I see no issue. Naturalizing players of Malaysian descent benefits the national team and the nation,” Nasir told Ray. “We shouldn’t just dream about the 2027 Asian Cup, we must also target the 2030 World Cup.”

Malaysia, beginning in 2018, allowed foreign players to naturalize after living there for five consecutive years. Examples include Mohamadou Sumareh (Gambia), Paulo Josue and Endrick (both Brazil).

More recently, backed by Johor Crown Prince Ismail, the country has intensified efforts to recruit players with Malaysian heritage, often highlighting the word “heritage” in press conferences and speeches to avoid misunderstanding and be more culturally acceptable.