Malaysian naturalized stars eagerly await the big match with Vietnam team
Hai Hoang (Working from Malaysia)•June 10, 2025 12:23
The naturalized players of the Malaysian team showed their best form before the decisive match against Vietnam at 8:00 p.m. on June 10, in the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers.
The Malaysian team had a practice session to get familiar with Bukit Jalil Stadium before the match against the Vietnamese team on the evening of June 10. Photo: Hai HoangIn this practice session, the Malaysian naturalized stars were revealed. Photo: Hai HoangSince the closed match with Cape Verde, Malaysia has “frozen” all information related to the team. Photo: Hai HoangThey do not allow any images to be leaked, even during the team's warm-up, to keep the information absolutely confidential. Photo: Hai HoangThe training session especially attracted attention when the Crown Prince of Johor State – Tunku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim, who is also the owner of Johor Darul Ta'zim Club, appeared on the field to boost the team's morale. Photo: Hai HoangFormer Malaysia national team coach Tan Cheng Hoe appeared on the field as the technical director of the Malaysian Football Federation. Photo: Hai HoangUnlike the Vietnamese team who practice in numbered jerseys, all Malaysian players practice in unnumbered jerseys to "hide their cards" from coach Kim Sang-sik and his team. Photo: Hai HoangTo prepare for the important match with coach Kim Sang Sik and his team, Malaysia has quickly added 5 naturalized players from Europe and South America: Imanol Machuca, Rodrigo Holgado (Argentine origin), Joao Figueiredo (Brazilian origin) and Jon Irazabal (Spanish origin). Photo: Hai HoangPlayer Faisal Halim gets media attention. Photo: Hai HoangMalaysian striker Faisal Halim had to undergo four surgeries, his face was covered with scars, and he gave up the habit of going out to play after being attacked with acid by a stranger in May 2024. Photo: Hai HoangDefender Dion Cools, who recently moved to play for Cerezo Osaka (Japan) from Buriram United. The player of Belgian and Malaysian descent has been the captain of the Malaysian national team many times. Photo: Hai HoangBrazilian-born midfielder Endrick dos Santos is playing for Ho Chi Minh City Club in V-League. The 1995-born player was friendly and kept saying “hello” to reporters from Vietnam. Photo: Hai HoangFacundo Garces is the most notable “rookie” of the Malaysian national team before the match against the Vietnamese national team. The central defender born in 1999 is currently playing for Deportivo Alaves Club in La Liga. This player was born in Argentina and is said to have a Malaysian grandmother. Photo: Hai HoangRodrigo Julián Holgado (born 1995) is of Argentine origin and plays as a striker for Colombian club América de Cali (Colombia). Photo: Hai HoangMeanwhile, João Figueiredo is a Brazilian-born player who plays football in Türkiye for Istanbul Besaksehir Club. Photo: Hai HoangCoach Peter Cklamovski stood watching his players practice closely. After 15 minutes of warm-up, Mr. Peter Cklamovski requested to close Bukit Jalil Stadium so that Malaysia could practice tactics against the Vietnamese team. Photo: Hai HoangThe match between Vietnam and Malaysia in the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers will take place at 8 p.m. on June 10. The winner of this match will have a great chance to participate in the 2027 Asian Cup finals. Photo: Hai Hoang
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