KUALA LUMPUR: The day when the national team fields a first XI consisting entirely of naturalised players may not be too far off.
With La’Vere Corbin-Ong becoming the latest foreign-born player to take up Malaysian citizenship, national coach Tan Cheng Hoe's options have expanded significantly to the extent that he could field a side consisting mostly, if not entirely, of naturalised players.
In just five years, the FA of Malaysia (FAM) reversed course by going from ruling out naturalised players playing for the national team to encouraging their "homecoming".
Under Fifa rules, the players must have ancestral ties to the country which they wish to represent with either a parent or grandparent born there.
To date, 14 players born overseas have been granted citizenship but they are mostly midfielders and defenders with Darren Lok and Sam Somerville the only forward and goalkeeper on the list.
While Cheng Hoe may not be able to field a line-up exclusively made up of naturalised players for tactical reasons, he can call upon a number of those players.
Johor Darul Ta'zim striker Darren would lead the line while his teammate Natxo Insa can pull the strings from midfield with the help of Perak's Brendan Gan and Felda United duo Curran Ferns and Stuart Wark.
The defence could consist of Bangkok Glass centre-back Kiko Insa, Khair Jones of Melaka, PKNS utility player Daniel Ting and full-backs Matthew Davies of Pahang and JDT's Corbin-Ong.
JDT's Somerville would keep goal with Nick Swirad (Melaka), Shazalee Ramlee (Sarawak) and Kevin Gunter in reserve.
For the purpose of this line-up, JDT defender Junior Eldstal is not considered as he was born a Malaysian in Sabah despite being raised in Sweden and England.
Former national coach B. Sathianathan said Cheng Hoe has a good list of naturalised players he can call upon for next month's friendly against Mongolia and an Asian Cup qualifier away to Lebanon.
"Had these players been around when I was the national coach, they would have made a big difference," said Sathianathan, who coached the national team from 2007 to 2009 and is now in charge of Premier League side Felda.
"Look at how Singapore won the AFF Cup in 2012 with foreign players and what the Philippines are doing now and they are on the verge of qualifying for the Asian Cup.
"These naturalised players will bring back interest in the national team. When you have negative results, it does little to boost football."
The national team are on a run of 10 matches without a win since November 2016 and Cheng Hoe is desperate to end that poor sequence against Mongolia on Mar 22.
Cheng Hoe has said he will consider all the naturalised players for a call-up based on their performances for their clubs.
Of the 14 players, only Davies (14 caps), Darren (nine), Brendan (eight), Kiko Insa (six) and Khair (four) have played for Malaysia.
Brendan was the first naturalised player to pull on a Malaysian shirt when he played at the 2014 Asian Games in Incheon.
Sathianathan said the national team must be strengthened to revive interest in Malaysian football.
"If we continue to lose, then kids will abandon football and we won't be able to develop enough quality local players," he said.
"Which is why we need the naturalised players to form a strong national team. People won't care whether they are local or naturalised players because what they will see is a Malaysian player in a Malaysian jersey."