PETALING JAYA: Sarawak’s sports minister has warned against having an overreliance on naturalised players in the Harimau Malaya squad, saying it could pose long-term risks to the growth of Malaysian football.
While the rules under Fifa and the Football Association of Malaysia allow naturalised and heritage players to represent Malaysia, Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah said he was concerned about the impact this would have on the development of local talent.
He acknowledged that the trend was also visible regionally, with Vietnam, Indonesia and the Philippines adopting similar approaches as eligibility rules are relaxed, Dayak Daily reported.