KUALA LUMPUR: The national football team can hire naturalised players but must not sideline local talents, the prime minister said today.
Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad said there are many other countries who take on naturalised players to join their national football team.
“Currently, all national teams hire players from many countries.
“That’s why see many white players that is dark-skinned. So if we have them (the naturalised players) it's fine.
“But, we can’t have all eleven players from other countries. We must have local talents playing as well,” he said at a press conference in the Parliament, here, today.