Vietnam struggles to replicate Indonesia and Malaysia’s naturalization program

According to Soha, Vietnamese media reveals the significant challenges in following the naturalization program successfully implemented by Indonesia and Malaysia national teams.

PSSI initiated their diaspora player search program in the early 2010s — an initiative that has begun yielding significant results in recent years with the integration of players from European clubs.

Malaysia has taken similar steps in their naturalization program — a policy that has proven effective with their national team’s improved performance.

The success of both countries is reflected in their dominance over Vietnam in official matches — the Indonesian national team has even recorded three consecutive victories during the 2026 World Cup Qualifiers and 2023 Asian Cup.