AFC: CAS Decision Does Not Affect Asian Cup Qualifying Schedule

The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) affirmed that the appeal decision concerning the seven naturalized players of the Malaysian national team at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) will not affect this organization's plans for hosting the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers.

AFC Secretary-General, Datuk Seri Windsor Paul John, said the AFC still has time before the official decision from CAS is announced, and the current situation does not pose any problems.

According to him, the AFC chose to await the full ruling from the CAS panel before taking any further action related to this matter.

"We will wait until CAS issues its decision. We still have some time, so there is no issue at present," he said in response to Arena Metro today, March 3.

Windsor made this statement when asked about the latest developments regarding the postponed appeal decision for the seven naturalized players of the Malaysian national team, which is currently in the final review stage by the CAS panel.

According to him, the CAS decision-making process requires thorough consideration, and the AFC respects the ongoing procedures.

It is known that the decision on this appeal is expected to be announced within the next few days, after the CAS panel needed additional time for deliberation.

This ruling has attracted significant attention as it concerns the eligibility of the seven naturalized players, who could potentially strengthen the Malaysian national team.

Any decision announced by CAS is anticipated to clarify the status of these players in international competitions.

Meanwhile, the AFC ensures that the 2027 Asian Cup qualifying schedule will proceed as planned without any changes.

According to the schedule, Malaysia is set to face the Vietnamese national team in a decisive Asian Cup qualifying match on March 31 at Thien Truong Stadium (Ninh Binh).