You are holding your breath waiting for FIFA to penalize Malaysia, but Vietnam must take care of themselves.

The Vietnam national team must take control of their chances in the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers and achieve good results instead of just hoping Malaysia will be punished or banned by FIFA.

Today (October 6) is the deadline for the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) to appeal the FIFA sanctions related to the illegal naturalization of 7 players. The entire Southeast Asian region, especially Vietnam, is closely watching FIFA’s final decision. If Malaysia fails to appeal on time or their appeal is rejected, they could face a 12-month ban, meaning the results of their matches in the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers would be annulled or forfeited.

However, while waiting for developments in this case, the Vietnam team cannot simply rely on “off-field incidents.” Coach Kim Sang Sik and his players must decide their own fate by securing two wins against Nepal – considered the weakest team in the group. Notably, both upcoming matches will be held at home, giving Vietnam a golden opportunity to collect all 6 points and keep hopes alive to catch up with Malaysia.

On the other hand, Malaysia is facing numerous difficulties. The “Malayan Tigers” will definitely lose 7 naturalized players due to FIFA’s sanctions, significantly weakening their squad. Coach Peter Cklamovski will have to rely on many young players with limited international experience. Losing key players in both defense and attack puts Malaysia at risk of slipping up against Laos – a team that has been improving steadily under coach Ha Hyeok Jun.

If Malaysia fails to beat Laos in the upcoming two matches, Vietnam’s chances will increase substantially. At that point, Coach Kim Sang Sik’s team only needs to maintain their winning streak to reduce the gap before the “group final” scheduled for March next year.

Nevertheless, the legal dispute between FAM and FIFA is not yet over. Malaysia is likely to continue appealing to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) if their initial appeal fails. Amid so many uncertainties, the most important thing for the Vietnam team is to focus on their performance and results on the field rather than waiting for their opponents to lose opportunities on their own.