Vietnam National Team, Beware! Malaysia Has 5 Strikers with Over 500 Goals

The main striker of Johor Darul Ta’zim, Bergson Da Silva, is causing an additional “headache” for Malaysia’s head coach Peter Cklamovski.

This is due to reports stating that the Brazilian forward is now eligible to represent the national team after completing the residency requirement for naturalization. According to Astro Arena reporter Zulhelmi Zainal Azam: “Bergson da Silva appears to have fulfilled the criteria for citizenship, specifically living in Malaysia for 5 years since joining JDT on February 3, 2021.”

Since joining JDT in 2021, Bergson made history by becoming the all-time top scorer in the Malaysia Super League in 2025, surpassing the previous record held by Indra Putra Mahyuddin. Bergson has accumulated 241 goals in his career, including 177 goals for JDT.

At the national team level, Malaysia has shown impressive form in 2025 by winning all 5 matches in Group F of the final round of the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers, leading the group standings. If Bergson is called up to the national team, Malaysia will have about 5 high-quality strikers competing for the number 9 position.

During the 2023 Asian Cup, Malaysia placed their trust in the naturalized duo Romel Morales and Paulo Josue, both of whom remain part of the current squad. Together, they have scored a total of 137 goals in their careers.

According to Makanbola, Romel Morales (28 years old) is sidelined long-term due to injury, while Paulo Josue (37 years old) has scored 5 goals in the current domestic league season.

Additionally, Malaysia has new options like Rodrigo Holgado (31 years old) and Joao Figueiredo (30 years old), who contributed to the 4-0 victory over Vietnam. This pair has scored 163 goals in their careers.

The arrival of Bergson, who has netted 17 goals in the 2025/26 Malaysia Super League, promises to bring a fresh “boost” to the attack. However, this transfer still requires approval from the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM). Malaysia’s next match will be against Vietnam on March 31, 2026, at Thien Truong Stadium.