FIFA takes strict measures, is Malaysia's national team about to be handed a 0-3 loss to Vietnam?

Due to FIFA's strict sanctions on 3 friendly games, there is a strong possibility that Malaysia's national team will continue to be penalized with losses in the matches against Nepal and Vietnam during the 2027 Asian Cup qualifying rounds.

On the morning of December 17, the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) announced that it had received the latest sanction from FIFA's Disciplinary Committee dated December 12 concerning the case of 7 players falsifying naturalization documents. Specifically, FIFA has awarded 0-3 losses to Malaysia in 3 friendly matches including: Malaysia’s 1-1 draw with Cape Verde on May 29, 2025; Malaysia’s 2-1 win over Singapore on September 4, 2025; and Malaysia’s 1-0 victory against Palestine on September 8, 2025. In addition to the forfeits, the Football Association of Malaysia was fined 10,000 CHF (51,414 RM).

According to the Football Association of Malaysia, they will submit a written appeal to FIFA’s Regulatory Committee to request an explanation for the decision before considering the next steps to take.

On December 8, the Football Association of Malaysia filed an appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) regarding FIFA’s sanctions against the 7 players who falsified naturalization documents. CAS is regarded as the final recourse for FAM in their dispute with FIFA. The court’s decision may uphold, reduce, or overturn the penalties. After CAS issues its official ruling, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) will base its judgment on this outcome, especially concerning the two matches against Nepal and Vietnam in the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers.

However, before CAS delivers its verdict, An independent investigation committee (ICC), recently established by the Football Association of Malaysia itself, has uncovered evidence indicating that the documentation of the group of 7 naturalized players was not properly verified. According to the findings, several key documents used to prove the players’ eligibility were unreliable and lacked supporting evidence. The ICC also found that FAM’s control measures were inadequately enforced, failing to detect the issues before submitting the files to FIFA.

Given this completely unfavorable situation, the likelihood of FAM overturning the decision at CAS is very slim. They face a high risk of severe sanctions from the AFC, including forfeiting the two matches against Nepal and Vietnam—matches in which they fielded ineligible naturalized players.