Malaysia coach slams point deduction at Asian Cup qualifiers as ‘unfair’ amidst naturalization scandal

Anxiety is high among the Malaysian fanbase following fears that the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) could disqualify the team from the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers or deduct points. This follows a high-profile scandal involving seven naturalized players who were recently deemed ineligible by FIFA.

In an interview with Nadi ArenaCklamovski said: “I would be very surprised if Malaysia were actually got a point deduction. This is unfair. FIFA and the AFC [initially] confirmed that the players involved would be allowed to play. Otherwise, I would have disqualified them from the start. The Malaysian government also recognized their citizenship.”

Cklamovski hinted that FIFA had initially stated that the seven players, Hector Hevel, Gabriel Palmero, Facundo Garces, Rodrigo Holgado, Imanol Machuca, Joao Figueiredo and Jon Irazabal, appeared “eligible” to represent Malaysia in the first half of 2025 and they played in Malaysia’s 4-0 victory against Vietnam and 1-0 victory against Nepal in the Asian Cup qualifiers in June 2025. This clearance relied on documentation provided by the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM).

However, the situation unraveled on June 11, 2025, when FIFA received an official complaint from a member federation questioning the validity of the naturalization documents, specifically noting the suspiciously short timeframe for their processing.

Following a two-month investigation, the FIFA Disciplinary Committee (FDC) opened proceedings in August 2025. The inquiry concluded that the original birth certificates revealed the players’ grandparents were born outside of Malaysia, a direct violation of the FIFA Disciplinary Code regarding national team eligibility. On Sept. 26, 2025, FIFA handed heavy sanctions to the FAM and banned the seven players for one year.

After the initial appeal was rejected by FIFA, the FAM has escalated the case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). A verdict is expected before the decisive final qualifying match between Vietnam and Malaysia on March 31, 2026, scheduled to be held at Thien Truong Stadium in northern Vietnam.

Despite the turmoil, Cklamovski is focused on the future.

“I hope the seven players will soon be able to return and help the team qualify for the Asian Cup,” he said, revealing that the team also plan to call up Brazilian-born striker Bergson Da Silva for the upcoming clash against Vietnam.

“We will go to Vietnam to win and maintain our top position in the qualifying group,” the 47-year-old coach added. “That is our main goal and also the reality the whole team is aiming for.”

Cklamovski, a former manager of J1 League sides Shimizu S-Pulse, Montedio Yamagata, and FC Tokyo, stated in October 2025 that he was unconcerned by the penalties, emphasizing that Malaysia “don’t depend on any single player.”