Nepal files a complaint with FIFA, Vietnam’s national team anxiously awaits the outcome

Nepal has formally lodged an appeal with FIFA seeking to overturn the 0-2 loss to Malaysia in the 2027 Asian Cup qualification round.

The All Nepal Football Association (ANFA) filed a complaint to FIFA after midfielder Hector Hevel, who scored one of Malaysia’s two goals in their 2-0 victory at Sultan Ibrahim Stadium on March 25 during the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers, was ruled ineligible to play by the governing body.

This move follows FIFA’s decision on September 26 to sanction the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) for falsifying documents related to seven naturalized players involved in the qualifiers, including Hevel.

The other six players are Joao Figueiredo, Rodrigo Holgado, Imanol Machuca, Facundo Garces, Jon Irazabal, and Gabriel Palmero. According to the disciplinary ruling, all seven players are banned from all football activities for one year, and FAM faces a hefty financial penalty.

Specifically, FAM was fined 350,000 Swiss francs (around 1.9 million ringgit), while each player was fined 2,000 Swiss francs (approximately 10,800 ringgit) and suspended from competition for 12 months, effective immediately following the FIFA Disciplinary Committee’s ruling issued at the end of September.

However, FIFA’s penalty so far only nullified the result of Malaysia’s 4-0 win over Vietnam in June, prompting ANFA to request a review of the match outcome between Nepal and Malaysia.

According to the The Guardian, “The All Nepal Football Association has filed a complaint with FIFA after Hevel, who scored in Malaysia’s 2-0 victory over Nepal in March, was deemed ineligible to play, which could lead to the match result being overturned.”

FAM insists the issue arose from an “administrative error” rather than deliberate fraud and maintains that all seven players are “legitimate citizens,” claiming FIFA’s conclusions lack solid evidence.

According to tournament regulations, Malaysia could be handed 0-3 forfeits in both matches against Vietnam and Nepal, depending on the final decision by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC).

Currently, Nepal sits at the bottom of Group F with zero points after four losses to Malaysia, Laos, and Vietnam. Meanwhile, Malaysia leads the group with 12 points following a 5-1 home victory over Laos, with Vietnam trailing closely behind at nine points.

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