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KOMPAS.com – English Media, The Guardiandiscusses the background to the scandal involving the forgery of documents of seven naturalized Malaysian national team players.
In their report, they considered the success of Indonesia’s naturalization project to be one of the factors that encouraged Malaysia to take similar steps.
The Guardian wrote that the transformation of the Indonesian National Team in recent years has attracted the attention of the Asian region.
The participation of a number of European-born players has made Garuda’s performance grow rapidly in the 2026 World Cup Qualifications.
In the main squad, Indonesia often fields eight to nine European-born players.
Some of them even appeared as starters at top European clubs. One of the names highlighted is Kevin Diks who plays for Borussia Monchengladbach.
This program took Indonesia to the fourth round of World Cup Qualification for the first time.
Garuda is only two games away from the final round, an achievement that was previously difficult to achieve.
Also read: Garuda PR Ahead of the Schedule for the Indonesian U22 National Team vs Mali in the Second Trial
Malaysia’s Reaction to Indonesia’s Naturalization Project
Indonesia’s success at the Southeast Asian level made Malaysia take quick steps by naturalizing seven diaspora players from Brazil, Argentina, Spain and the Netherlands.
The policy immediately paid off when Malaysia won 4-0 over Vietnam in the 2027 Asian Cup Qualifiers, their first win over the rivals in ten years.
Also read: Observers say the Indonesian U22 national team is promising, but the finishing is still a note
The Guardian wrote, “Indonesia has become the strongest national team in Southeast Asia, and their rapid development has undeniably shaped Malaysia’s mindset.”
However, the project turned into big problems when FIFA discovered allegations of document forgery.
Naturalization Scandal and FIFA Sanctions
FIFA imposed sanctions on the Malaysian national team after finding irregularities in the naturalization documents of seven players.
The Guardian wrote, “In September, FIFA accused the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) of falsifying the documents of seven players from Brazil, Argentina, Spain and the Netherlands to claim they had grandparents born in those countries.”