VFF's response after Malaysia's official appeal fails

The Vietnam Football Federation has reposted information regarding the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) rejecting the appeal filed by the Football Association of Malaysia.

On March 5, 2026, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) announced its ruling concerning the appeals submitted by seven players and the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) against FIFA's prior disciplinary decision regarding the use of forged documents in the process of determining eligibility for the Malaysian national team.

Immediately after CAS issued its ruling on Malaysia's unsuccessful appeal, the Vietnam Football Federation also issued its initial reactions. VFF posted the information on its official website and indicated that the AFC is highly likely to issue a final decision before the rematch between the Vietnamese national team and Malaysia on March 31:

"As scheduled, the Vietnamese national team will face Malaysia again on March 31 at Thien Truong Stadium (Ninh Binh) in the final match of the AFC Asian Cup 2027 Qualifiers. Based on the CAS ruling, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) is expected to issue a related decision before this match takes place to ensure the qualification of teams for the AFC Asian Cup 2027 finals."

According to the CAS statement, the body partially accepted the players' appeal, deciding to uphold the 12-month playing ban but adjusting its scope to apply only to official matches, rather than banning participation in all football-related activities as per FIFA's previous ruling. This means the players can still train and participate in professional activities with their clubs but are barred from playing in official matches during the suspension period.

Meanwhile, the appeal filed by FAM was rejected, and CAS upheld the fine of 350,000 Swiss Francs (CHF) imposed by FIFA on the federation. CAS stated that the full ruling along with detailed legal reasoning will be published shortly.

After reviewing the evidence presented at the hearing held on February 26, 2026, in Lausanne (Switzerland), the CAS Arbitration Panel concluded that fraudulent conduct related to eligibility verification documents was proven, and that the 12-month playing ban was appropriate and proportionate for the players. However, CAS determined that the scope of the sanction needed adjustment, limiting it to participation in official matches only.

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