FIFA reminds AFC to sanction Malaysia for the match against Vietnam National Team

FIFA mentioned that the issue of addressing the match between Vietnam National Team and Malaysia, where 7 naturalized players committed infractions, will be under AFC's jurisdiction.

FIFA has recently issued decision FDD-24394 regarding Malaysia's forgery of documents to illegally naturalize 7 players. FIFA released evidence proving that none of these 7 naturalized players had parents born in Malaysia as previously documented, confirming that these players were ineligible to represent Malaysia National Team.

However, whether Malaysia's matches using these players, particularly their 4-0 victory over Vietnam, will be forfeited was not mentioned. Nevertheless, FIFA reminded the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) about this issue by reiterating the principle that players who do not meet eligibility criteria must not be fielded:

"Ultimately, considering allegations related to players potentially being ineligible due to nationality reasons, the FIFA Disciplinary Committee finds it necessary to preliminarily clarify the eligibility status for representing the Malaysian Football Association.

Furthermore, any potential violations concerning the Malaysia vs Vietnam match fall under the jurisdiction of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), whose relevant judicial body holds the authority to assess and determine consequences of any findings of ineligibility.

Regarding this matter, The committee emphasized that a well-established principle in football is that federations and clubs are responsible for fielding only eligible players."

This remains under the authority of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) since this match took place within the framework of the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers. After FIFA's decision takes effect, AFC's Disciplinary Committee will review and decide on the penalties for FAM's violations. At that point, it will be officially determined if Vietnam will be granted a 3-0 victory over Malaysia according to standard regulations.

Meanwhile, FIFA maintains its previous sanctions against the Malaysian Football Association. The FIFA Disciplinary Committee reviewed evidence and arguments from FAM and the players but found sufficient grounds to conclude document forgery occurred.