Southeast Asian fans collectively remind Vietnam as Malaysia is handed defeats in 3 matches

FIFA's ruling to award 0-3 losses to Malaysia in three matches has caused a strong wave of discussion within the Southeast Asian fan community. Remarkably, many comments from fans in the region frequently referenced the Vietnam team.

At noon on December 17, the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) officially confirmed that they have received a disciplinary decision from FIFA regarding the use of ineligible players in three international friendly matches at level 1. Accordingly, all three matches were forfeited with a 0-3 scoreline, accompanied by a fine of up to 10,000 Swiss Francs. The forfeited matches included games against Cape Verde, Singapore, and Palestine. This is considered a strict move by FIFA after determining that FAM violated Article 19 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code (2025 edition).

It did not stop there, the AFC is expected to intervene soon, potentially extending sanctions to Malaysia’s official matches in the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers. Most notably, Malaysia’s 4-0 victory over Vietnam on June 10 and their 2-0 win against Nepal are both at risk of being overturned to 0-3 losses.

Immediately after the news of FIFA’s penalties spread, Southeast Asian social media erupted with numerous comments from fans across the region. A common theme was the special attention given to Vietnam.

An Indonesian fan bluntly wrote: “Fairness for Vietnam and Nepal.”

Another comment posed a brief but pointed question: “What about the match against Vietnam?”

Not only Indonesian fans, but Singaporean supporters also expressed confusion over the previous handling: “Luckily, the 3-0 victories were not previously awarded to Vietnam and Nepal.”

Meanwhile, a Malaysian fan showed pessimism and acknowledged the inevitable consequences: “This statement will definitely nullify the first two AFC qualifying matches’ results. Vietnam will secure qualification for the 2027 Asian Cup.”

Some comments were even sarcastic, questioning the logic if the results were reversed: “Surely after this, the wins against Vietnam and Nepal will also be overturned, right?”

The fact that Southeast Asian fans consistently refer to Vietnam clearly shows one thing: in the eyes of regional supporters, the Vietnam team is the most directly and severely affected party by Malaysia’s violations. If the AFC officially applies penalties similar to FIFA’s, the standings in the 2027 Asian Cup qualifying group will change significantly.

Conversely, FIFA’s punishment has thrown Malaysian football into turmoil. Not only have match results been lost, but their FIFA ranking is expected to drop sharply, while the risk of further forfeits in continental competitions becomes increasingly apparent. FAM’s appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) is seen as a last effort, but public confidence in the region has seriously declined.