Seven Heritage Players Still Ineligible as Malaysia Set to Face China in November

PETALING JAYA, 1 October 2026 – The Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) is set to meet with Home Affairs Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail to seek clarification regarding the passport and citizenship status of seven heritage players involved in a documentation issue.

FAM President Datuk Ab Ghani Hassan said matters relating to citizenship and passport issuance are beyond FAM’s jurisdiction. The association will therefore work with the Ministry of Home Affairs (KDN) to obtain further clarification. For now, the seven players remain ineligible to represent Malaysia following FIFA’s decision to prevent them from playing for the national team.

Meanwhile, the Harimau Malaya are scheduled to travel to Guangzhou, China, in November for two international Tier 1 friendly matches against China. The two matches are scheduled to take place on 14 and 17 November 2026. According to FAM, the matches will be important for Malaysia to collect FIFA ranking points and improve their seeding position ahead of the 2030 FIFA World Cup and 2032 AFC Asian Cup qualification draws. The fixtures against China will also serve as part of Malaysia’s preparations for upcoming international competitions.

FAM has also reiterated its commitment to ensuring that similar documentation issues do not occur again in the future.

Sumber: Asean Football