Malaysian media mention Vietnam national team when reviewing the year 2025

As 2026 begins, Malaysian media unanimously look back on the eventful 2025 of the national team, with Vietnam unexpectedly mentioned as a key highlight in that narrative.

According to Malaysia’s Bharian newspaper, 2025 ended with mixed emotions for the Malaysian national team. On a technical level, the team was regarded as having one of its most positive phases under coach Peter Cklamovski, maintaining an unbeaten streak over 8 official matches.

Among the most frequently recalled matches, the clash against Vietnam in Group F of the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers stood out as an unforgettable moment. Malaysian media emphasized: “The match against Vietnam in Group F of the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers became the most memorable memory, as Malaysia crushed their major Southeast Asian rival 4-0 on June 10th.. That victory ended Harimau Malaya’s 11-year winless streak against Vietnam and drew special attention due to the participation of 7 naturalized or heritage players including Gabriel Felipe Arrocha, Facundo Garces, Rodrigo Holgado, Imanol Machuca, Joao Figueiredo, Jon Irazabal, and Hector Hevel in that game..”

However, the same Malaysian newspaper reported that this joy was short-lived. By September, the nation’s football scene was shaken when FIFA imposed sanctions on the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) and involved players due to allegations of document forgery.

Importantly, the local press stated the issue originated from a complaint FIFA received following the Malaysia-Vietnam match, details of which were reiterated in several year-end analytical articles. Malaysian media cited: “The penalty was imposed after FIFA’s investigation, which stemmed from a complaint submitted to the organization after the match between Malaysia and Vietnam.”

As a result, FAM was fined a substantial amount, and the players involved were suspended for 12 months. From the perspective of Malaysian media, this marked a turning point, turning what was a “promising” 2025 into a bleak and heavy year.

Furthermore, Malaysian media also mentioned FIFA’s December decision, when three friendly matches of the Malaysian national team were annulleddue to the team allegedly fielding ineligible players. These consecutive penalties, according to local press, directly impacted Malaysia’s FIFA ranking, causing the team to drop 5 places to 121st in the world.

Closing out 2025, Malaysian newspapers regarded the national team’s journey as emotionally charged, with the victory over Vietnam being both a memorable peak and a reference point frequently mentioned in subsequent developments. The media believe all hopes now rest on FAM’s appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).