FAM shows unusual behavior, is Malaysia's national team about to be handed a 0-3 defeat against Vietnam?

Even with the deadline near, the Football Association of Malaysia has not released any information about filing an appeal with CAS. It is widely expected that Malaysia’s national team will be considered to have lost two games against Vietnam and Nepal.

FIFA’s Appeal Committee has rejected the complaint submitted by the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) concerning the case of seven naturalized players, while also publishing the full rationale behind this decision. According to regulations, FAM has up to 21 days to escalate the matter to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), meaning the final deadline is tomorrow, December 8.

Previously, acting FAM President Datuk Mohd Yusoff Mahadi affirmed that the organization would proceed with the appeal process at CAS. In a statement released on November 18, he emphasized that FAM aims to “ensure fairness and maintain transparency in the player eligibility review process established by the Malaysian government alongside relevant authorities.” He also asserted that FAM will continue to protect the rights of all players who meet the criteria to represent the national team.

However, according to a revelation by BH Sukan, as of early December FAM has not submitted any documents to CAS. The outlet directly inquired and received confirmation from Vanessa Tracey, CAS communications officer, that the arbitration body has not yet received any appeal from FAM.

This puts FAM in a tight spot with the deadline looming. Moreover, given the evidence FIFA has presented regarding violations in the naturalization process, the chances of FAM overturning the ruling are very slim even if they appeal to CAS.

It is known that, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) is expected to continue handling this case once CAS issues its final ruling. Many analysts suggest Malaysia faces a very high risk of being ruled as losing the matches against Nepal and Vietnam in the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers scheduled for June 2025, where the seven ineligible naturalized players participated.

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