OFFICIAL: AFC responds to rumors of Malaysia being forfeited to Vietnam

The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has spoken out about Malaysia being handed a loss in the 2027 Asian Cup qualifying round.

According to the Bharian, AFC Secretary General Datuk Seri Windsor Paul John has denied claims from a news portal that Malaysia was penalized similarly to the sanctions imposed by FIFAafter being found to have fielded ineligible players in two previous qualifying matches. Windsor briefly told BH Sukan: “That is not true. We have not made any decision yet.”

Earlier, Windsor also emphasized that AFC has not issued any official ruling and indicated that the organization currently has no intention to act like FIFA.

He stated that AFC will leave the matter entirely to the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) to resolve at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) before considering further steps. Windsor told BH Sukan last week: “Yes, for now, we will wait for CAS's verdict. This decision was just recently made by FIFA, so AFC needs time to carefully review it.”

Previously, the news site Seasia goal quoted AFC sources claiming Malaysia is almost certain to be penalized in the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers. The portal suggested Malaysia would face the same penalty as FIFA, meaning a 0-3 forfeit loss in matches against Nepal and Vietnam.

According to that report, AFC had reached a consensus on the decision, only awaiting the final ruling from CAS before making an official announcement. Malaysia is even rumored to risk bans from the 2027 and 2031 Asian Cups.

Previously, FIFA annulled Malaysia's match results against Cape Verde, Singapore, and Palestine due to the use of ineligible players. Not only were the results canceled, but Malaysia was also handed 0-3 losses in all three matches.