KUALA LUMPUR — The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has ruled that Malaysia forfeits two AFC Asian Cup 2027 Qualifiers matches after finding the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) guilty of fielding an ineligible player, dealing a major blow to the national team’s campaign.
In a decision delivered by the AFC Disciplinary & Ethics Committee on Tuesday, chaired by Jahangir Baglari, Malaysia’s 2–0 win over Nepal on March 25, 2025, and 4–0 victory against Vietnam on June 10, 2025, have both been overturned and recorded as 3–0 defeats.
The committee found FAM in breach of Article 56 of the AFC Disciplinary & Ethics Code, which governs the fielding of ineligible players. Under Article 25.1, both matches are automatically forfeited.
The fixtures in question were held at the Sultan Ibrahim Stadium in Iskandar Puteri and the National Stadium in Bukit Jalil, respectively.
In addition to the forfeitures, FAM has been fined USD50,000 (approximately RM196,119).
In a statement, FAM acknowledged the decision and said it will seek further clarification before determining its next steps.
“We have received the decision from the AFC Disciplinary & Ethics Committee and will submit a written request to obtain the full grounds of the decision. Only after reviewing the detailed reasons will we consider the appropriate course of action,” FAM said.
The ruling significantly impacts Malaysia’s standing in the qualification campaign, with six points effectively stripped and goal differences altered.
It remains unclear which player was deemed ineligible, as the AFC has yet to publicly disclose full details of the case.
Earlier, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) dismissed FAM’s appeal in full, upholding the 350,000 Swiss Franc (approximately RM1.8 million) fine imposed earlier by FIFA.
The players’ appeals were partially upheld, reducing their 12-month suspension to official competitive matches only, rather than all football-related activities. – March 17, 2026