Malaysia's dream of qualifying for the Asian Cup for the second consecutive time was shattered after the team was handed 0-3 losses in matches against Vietnam and Nepal in the Asian Cup 2027 final qualifiers. These penalties stemmed from the use of players who violated eligibility rules related to a naturalization fraud case. Consequently, Malaysia plummeted from leading Group F to second place, 6 points behind Vietnam with only one match remaining, making their upcoming game against Vietnam at Thien Truong Stadium on 31/3 a mere formality.

Despite the match being a formality, Zulakbal Abdul Karim, a renowned Malaysian football expert, views it as a major test of character for coach Peter Cklamovski's team. "I believe Vietnam is waiting on home soil to further punish Malaysia with a big victory", Zulakbal told the Malaysian newspaper New Straits Times on 18/3. "Malaysia needs to respond. The players must play for national pride. Everything is against them, so they need to try their best for a glorious outcome."

Malaysian players training at Bukit Jalil Stadium in Kuala Lumpur on 17/11/2025, a day before their 1-0 victory over Nepal in matchday 5 of Group F in the Asian Cup 2027 final qualifiers. Photo: MalaysiaNT

Doctor Zulakbal Abdul Karim, currently a senior lecturer at Sultan Idris Education University (UPSI), acknowledged that this period marks the worst in the 100-year history of the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM). He drew parallels to the major bribery scandal in the Malaysia national league in 1990. Rulings from FIFA, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) have set back the sport, further increasing fan anger.

Zulakbal affirmed that the players called up for the upcoming match are not at fault, but will still bear the general stigma associated with the national team. "This is probably the biggest challenge. But I see this as an opportunity for players to show their full potential. A good match can bring better opportunities in the future", he stated.

Joao Figueiredo (number 14), Rodrigo Holgado (19), Facundo Garces (3), Jon Irazabal (5), Hector Hevel (13) in Malaysia's starting lineup for their 4-0 victory over Vietnam in matchday two of Group F in the Asian Cup 2027 final qualifiers, at Bukit Jalil Stadium, Malaysia on 10/6/2025. Photo: Mainstand

Malaysia's scandal erupted in 9/2025, when the FIFA Disciplinary Committee determined they used falsified or invalid civil registration documents in the registration files of seven foreign players. This group included: Joao Figueiredo (Brazilian origin), Rodrigo Holgado, Imanol Machuca, Facundo Garces (Argentinian), Jon Irazabal, Gabriel Palmero (Spanish), and Hector Hevel (Dutch).

These players all participated in the 4-0 victory over Vietnam on 10/6/2025 in the Asian Cup 2027 final qualifiers. Three months prior, Hevel played in the 2-0 victory over Nepal, a detail that Zulakbal regrets. He lamented that had these players not been used, Malaysia would still have had a chance in the upcoming match against Vietnam.

"We could have won against Nepal without any of the naturalized players. That was a miscalculation by the national team", Zulakbal stated. "The journey has ended, but this is a lesson not to take shortcuts. I hope that integrity will be valued more in Malaysian football in the future."

To date, Malaysia has faced multiple penalties from the naturalization fraud case. FAM was fined 350,000 Swiss francs (over 11 billion dong). Each involved player was banned from playing for 12 months and received an additional fine of 2,000 francs. This is the heaviest disciplinary sanction Malaysian football has ever endured.

FAM appealed to the FIFA Appeals Committee, but the penalties were upheld. In 12/2025, FIFA again ruled 0-3 losses for Malaysia in friendly matches against Cape Verde, Singapore, and Palestine, due to the use of the aforementioned violating naturalized players. FAM and the players later filed appeals with CAS, but most were rejected. This was considered the basis for AFC's announcement of sanctions yesterday.

Trung Thu