The Football Association of Malaysia is confident that the disciplinary sanctions from the AFC were decided before the rematch against the Vietnam national team.

23/12/2025 14:45:00 soccer

The scandal involving forged documents related to seven naturalized players has not only affected the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) but also directly impacted sponsors, some of whom are reportedly reconsidering their continued support.

A notable case is Bank Islam, the Islamic bank that has been a partner of FAM for 12 years. According to Malaysian media, Bank Islam is currently awaiting the verdict from the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) before making any further decisions regarding their sponsorship contract.

Acting FAM President Datuk Yusoff Mahadi confirmed that Bank Islam has officially contacted FAM but emphasized that this does not indicate a termination of sponsorship.

The bank has only requested FAM to clarify the situation, consistent with the long-term collaboration between the two parties.

Acting FAM President Datuk Yusoff Mahadi. Photo: NST

"To clarify for everyone, when this incident occurred, Bank Islam reached out to us to understand what really happened. We have held multiple meetings with them," Yusoff said.

"Currently, Bank Islam will wait for the final conclusion from our handling process before making any decisions. As I mentioned, FAM wants to complete all procedures first. For now, everything with Bank Islam is proceeding normally," he added.

However, Bank Islam’s logo did not appear on the advertising boards around the stadium during Malaysia’s match against Nepal in the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers last November. Furthermore, the bank’s logo is no longer shown on FAM’s official website, fueling further speculation.

Although the two parties renewed their strategic partnership in July, Bank Islam along with other sponsors are reportedly closely watching the upcoming CAS ruling.

In The Star, Yusoff stated that FAM expects CAS to make a decision before Malaysia’s final qualifying match against Vietnam on March 31, 2027.

FAM reports to police over foreign player’s forged documents for Malaysian nationality

"Since our last qualifying match is in March against Vietnam, I expect the ruling to be delivered before that time," he said.

"We need to know the result before the final match because it directly concerns the participating teams. The AFC also needs to conduct the tournament draw afterwards.

Therefore, it can be confirmed that the decision will be made before we face Vietnam," Yusoff emphasized.

According to some unofficial sources, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has prepared sanctions for the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM).

These include a 0-3 loss in both matches against Vietnam and Nepal in the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers, as well as a ban from participating in the 2027 and 2031 Asian Cups.

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