PETALING JAYA: Argentine-born winger Manuel Hidalgo has been cleared by FIFA to don the Harimau Malaya colours.
Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) secretary-general Datuk Noor Azman confirmed the news during the governing body’s second extraordinary congress on Thursday (Sept 17).
The 27-year-old Hidalgo becomes the third new player available for the national team, joining his Johor Darul Ta’zim (JDT) teammates Bergson Da Silva and Brad Tapp, who received the green light last Sunday.
"On the documentation of Harimau Malaya players, we received the clearance from FIFA on Wednesday," said Azman.
"We will release the official list of names soon."
However, JDT defender Shane Lowry did not proceed with his application due to injury.
Azman also said Kuala Lumpur defender Giancarlo Gallifuoco’s naturalisation process would need further review as there could be technical issues with his application.
The additions come in time for the FIFA Asean Cup, giving interim head coach Tan Cheng Hoe more options for the Sept 24-Oct 5 tournament.
