Local footballers are reeling from a shock FIFA decision to deny the Macau Football Association’s (MFA) request to field Portuguese players, who have been long-time members of the SAR team.
The players affected include team captain Niki Torrão, who has played for Macao for over 20 years, as well as Filipe Duarte, Vítor Almeida, and Iuri Capelo. The players are permanent residents but do not hold a Macao passport. They will now be ineligible to play for Macao in the upcoming Asian Cup match against Brunei on 6 September.
[See more: What’s next for football in Macao?]
FIFA’s response to the request sent by MFA was a firm “no,” according to Jornal Tribuna de Macau (JTM). With the AFC Asian Cup qualifiers just two weeks away, head coach Lázaro Oliveira – who was appointed head coach of the team in 2019 – will have the huge task of finding the right players to field for the game.
He shared his disappointment with JTM, saying that “he will go into the game with what he has, motivating the players present and highlighting their importance.”
The Macao team (ranked a lowly 185 in the FIFA table) last played a game in October at the AFC Asian Qualifiers against Myanmar that ended goalless. The side has failed to win a match in the last five games.
The MFA says FIFA’s decision does not adequately account for Macao’s unique circumstances and the long history of Portuguese players representing the team. The association plans to seek further clarification from both FIFA and the Asian Football Confederation,
