‘Sensationally damning’: Malaysian football rocked by naturalisation scandal

The article discusses a naturalisation scandal that has rocked Malaysian football. Seven national-team players, including one from La Liga, have been suspended by FIFA over claims of cheating. The story began with the crown prince of Johor, Tunku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim, who is the owner of Johor Darul Ta'zim football club and a former president of the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM), announcing that they had identified 6-7 "heritage players" and hoped the Malaysian government could assist in the process of obtaining Malaysian passports so that they could play in the Asian Cup 2027 qualifiers. The article suggests that this type of naturalisation practice is becoming increasingly common in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) football. The scandal has rocked Malaysian football, which had recently enjoyed a 4-0 win over regional rivals Vietnam, keeping them on course for the 2027 Asian Cup. The article describes the situation as "sensationally damning" for Malaysian football.