Malaysian media worry their team might be forfeited against Vietnam

The New Straits Times has voiced anxiety regarding the strong possibility of Malaysia’s national team being ruled as losing to Vietnam in the 2027 Asian Cup qualifying round.

Before the end of 2025, FIFA unexpectedly awarded 0-3 losses to Malaysia in three friendly matches, against Cape Verde, Singapore, and Palestine respectively. This decision was made because the team fielded seven ineligible players in those matches.

Prior to the sanctions, Malaysia had drawn 1-1 with Cape Verde on May 29, defeated Singapore 2-1 on September 4, and beat Palestine 1-0 on September 8.

Furthermore, the New Straits Times of Malaysia also confirmed that the national team faces the risk of further forfeits in two crucial matches during the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers. This could cause coach Peter Cklamovski’s squad to lose their advantage in qualifying for Asia’s most prestigious tournament.

Specifically, New Straits Times reported: "The difficulties continue for coach Peter Cklamovski’s team, as the Asian Football Confederation is reportedly set to deduct points from Malaysia in the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers. The team was again found to have used ineligible players in their 2-0 win over Nepal on March 25 and their 4-0 victory against Vietnam on June 10.

Currently, Harimau Malaya leads Group F with 15 points after five matches. According to the rules, only the top team in each group qualifies for the Asian Cup finals."

The issue started in October last year, when FIFA accused Malaysia’s national team of falsifying documents for seven naturalized players in the aforementioned 2027 Asian Cup qualifying matches. The players Gabriel Palmero, Facundo Garces, Rodrigo Holgado, Imanol Machuca, Joao Figueiredo, Jon Irazabal, and Hector Hevel were fined 2,000 Swiss francs by FIFA’s Disciplinary Committee and banned from playing for 12 months.

The Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) then filed an appeal, but FIFA rejected it in November. This forced FAM to take the case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) to prove the legitimacy of the naturalization paperwork and avoid sanctions against the national team. The outcome of this legal battle is expected to be announced soon, ahead of Malaysia’s final Group F qualifier against Vietnam in the 2027 Asian Cup.

If CAS rules unfavorably, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) will have the authority to review the results of the two 2027 Asian Cup qualifying matches. It is highly likely that AFC will award Malaysia a 0-3 loss, which would significantly benefit Vietnam’s national team in their quest to qualify for Asia’s premier tournament.