Vietnam's representative on the FIFA Disciplinary Committee will not handle the Malaysia case

Vietnam's representative on the FIFA Disciplinary Committee will abstain from judging the penalty against the Malaysian national team due to the principle of "impartial fairness".

After FIFA officially sanctioned the Football Association of Malaysia for fielding 7 ineligible naturalized players in their 4-0 victory over Vietnam in the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers in June 2025, the local media showed great interest in who was behind the decision to penalize Malaysia's football federation.

The Malaysian outlet Makan Bola reported that a Vietnamese member is part of the FIFA Disciplinary Committee. This is Ms. Nguyễn Thị Mỹ Dung, an experienced lawyer, whom Malaysian media suspect may have a conflict of interest since the penalty against Malaysia could benefit the Vietnamese national team.

However, according to Articles 35 and 36 of FIFA's Disciplinary Code, if a committee member has a connection that could compromise "impartial fairness," they must not participate in handling that case. Since the Malaysia incident involved a match against Vietnam, Ms. Nguyễn Thị Mỹ Dung will also abstain from the disciplinary process based on this principle.

The FIFA Disciplinary Committee is currently chaired by Mr. Mohammed Al Kamali from the UAE and includes several international figures such as Bandar Al-Hamidani from Saudi Arabia. Yet, among Malaysian football fans, the most notable name is Nguyễn Thị Mỹ Dung from Vietnam.

She is an experienced lawyer who has worked for the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF) as well as various Asian sports legal bodies. Her presence on the FIFA Disciplinary Committee is seen as recognition of legal experts from the Southeast Asian region.

Besides Vietnam, another Southeast Asian representative on the committee is Abdul Salim Ahmed Ibrahim from Singapore, who also has a background in sports law and management. Although the international composition appears balanced, Malaysian supporters remain focused on the influence of the Vietnamese representative.