Cklamovski faces FIFA blues in release of heritage players for CAFA Cup
KUALA LUMPUR: Harimau Malaya are hoping to field a full-strength squad, including their heritage players, at the Central Asian Football Association (CAFA) Nations Cup from Aug 26-Sept 9 but may face hurdles with player availability.
With the next FIFA window set for Sept 1-9, national coach Peter Cklamovski is bracing for potential club release issues, especially for overseas-based players whose sides are not obligated to release them outside official windows.
Malaysia currently have five heritage players abroad — defender Facundo Garces (Alaves), Gabriel Palmero (Tenerife), and Joao Figueiredo (Istanbul Basaksehir) in Europe, while Imanol Machuca plays for Velez Sarsfield in Argentina, and Rodrigo Holgado is with America de Cali in Colombia.
Cklamovski said squad planning will depend on the yet-to-be-released fixture schedules of the players' respective clubs.
"The simple fact is they'll only become available on Sept 1, unless their club schedules allow for an earlier release. That's based on FIFA regulations," he told Astro Arena.
"We'll have to wait and see. For example, Garces' fixtures in La Liga haven't been announced yet, and that's the case for many leagues over there. Once we get that information, we'll work from there."
World No. 131 Malaysia face a tough challenge at the CAFA Nations Cup, with opponents including world No. 18 Iran and Uzbekistan (No. 57) —— both of whom have qualified for the 2026 World Cup.
Other participating teams include Oman (world No. 77), Kyrgyzstan (No. 103), Tajikistan (No. 104), Turkmenistan (No. 142), and Afghanistan (No. 160).
After the CAFA campaign, Malaysia will shift focus to their Asian Cup Group F qualifiers, beginning with Laos in Vientiane on Oct 9 and in Kuala Lumpur on Oct 14.
They will then travel to Kathmandu to face Nepal on Nov 18 before wrapping up the group stage against Vietnam in Hanoi on March 31 next year.
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