Alisher Mirzayev
Will Cambodia include their Uzbekistan origin Alisher Mirzayev in the national football squad?
The Visakha midfielder has accepted Cambodian citizenship, making him eligible to represent the Kingdom in future international football competitions.
FIFA had approved his request to switch international allegiance to Cambodia on November 13.
Mirzayev joined Visakha in 2020 and has since become one of the team’s regulars. Visakha, are currently seventh in the Cambodian Premier League with 12 points.
The 29-year-old had represented the Uzbekistan national U-16 and U-20 national teams and was seen as a potential senior team player.
If he is called up, his first appearance will likely be during the March FIFA international break.
Mirzayev’s eligibility comes at a time when ASEAN neighbours Malaysia are embroiled in their controversial inclusion of heritage players in the Asian Cup qualifiers.
The Football Association of Malaysia was ordered to pay a fine of CHF 350,000 to FIFA for their breaches of article 22 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code (FDC) concerning forgery and falsification.
The concerned players – Gabriel Felipe Arrocha, Facundo Tomás Garcés, Rodrigo Julián Holgado, Imanol Javier Machuca, João Vitor Brandão Figueiredo, Jon Irazábal Iraurgui and Hector Alejandro Hevel Serrano were each ordered to pay a fine of CHF 2,000.
The aforementioned players were also further sanctioned with a 12-month suspension from all football-related activities.
Unlike Mirzayev, the seven players were given fast track citizenship by Malaysia to make eligibility as heritage players.
