Surprise from CAS, Malaysia may not be ruled to lose to Vietnam National Team

The recent decision by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) about the 7 naturalized players of Malaysia is causing a significant shift in Group F of the 2027 Asian Cup qualification.

Specifically, on the evening of January 26, CAS announced a temporary suspension of the ban previously imposed by FIFA on the 7 naturalized Malaysian players, including Facundo Garces, Rodrigo Holgado, Imanol Machuca, João Figueiredo, Gabriel Palmero, Jon Irazabal, and Hector Hevel. This decision means that these players are allowed to return to play while awaiting the final verdict from CAS.

Earlier, in September 2025, FIFA uncovered an illegal naturalization scandal in Malaysian football, accusing the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) of forging documents to legitimize the eligibility of these 7 players. FIFA’s initial punishment included a 12-month suspension for the players, along with financial penalties for FAM and the individuals involved.

Moreover, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) is reportedly considering ruling Malaysia to forfeit matches where these ineligible naturalized players participated. Notably, this includes the 2-0 wins against Nepal and especially the 4-0 victory over Vietnam in the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers. AFC has stated that a final decision will only be made after FAM receives the ultimate ruling from all appeal levels.

After FIFA rejected FAM’s appeal at the appellate level in November 2025, FAM escalated the case to CAS. At that time, even Malaysian media acknowledged the slim chances of overturning the decision. However, CAS’s temporary suspension of the penalty on the night of January 26 has rekindled hope for Malaysian football, while also making the situation in Group F more complicated than ever.

For Vietnam’s national team, this is clearly unfavorable news. In the event that CAS determines that FAM and the naturalized players did not commit serious violations or considers the document forgery as merely a technical error, AFC may have no grounds to penalize Malaysia with losses in the past matches. Consequently, the 4-0 win against Vietnam is likely to stand.

If this scenario occurs, Malaysia will maintain a significant advantage in the race for a spot in the 2027 Asian Cup. Currently, the team has 15 points, 3 points more than Vietnam, and holds a superior head-to-head record. This means that in the upcoming return match scheduled for March 31, Coach Kim Sang Sik’s team will need to win by at least 5 goals to surpass Malaysia, an extremely challenging task.