Despite CAS reducing the penalty, AFC still has grounds to rule Malaysia's loss to Vietnam as 0-3

CAS delivered decisions beneficial to Malaysia's illegally naturalized players, but the Malaysian Football Association cannot avoid sanctions from AFC.

Late on January 26, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) announced a temporary suspension of the FIFA-imposed ban on seven players who were naturalized unlawfully in Malaysia. This ruling surprised many, as it means those players could soon return to the field, potentially including the crucial Vietnam vs. Malaysia match in the final round of Group F in the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers.

However, it is important to distinguish that CAS's temporary suspension of the players' sanctions does not mean Malaysia will avoid losing matches where ineligible players were fielded. In other words, CAS may reduce or adjust punishments for individual players, but the “match results” issue falls under a separate legal and disciplinary authority.

From the media's perspective, Malaysiacould face a “win one, lose one” scenario where players are allowed to play again, but the Malaysian Football Association is still likely to be found guilty of fielding ineligible players in AFC competitions.

This is due to the appeal strategy. Since taking the case to CAS, the Malaysian Football Association reportedly no longer insists on complete innocence as it did with FIFA, but instead focuses on requesting a reduction of the 12-month suspension for the seven players. If the appeal aims to “reduce the penalty” rather than “erase it,” logically it strengthens the admission that ineligible players were used.

An example previously mentioned is that FIFA had ruled Malaysia lost certain friendly matches because those games fell under FIFA Days and thus FIFA’s direct jurisdiction. However, Asian Cup qualifiers fall under AFC's disciplinary authority, not FIFA's.

This is the key point: CAS can intervene in individual sanctions and legal disputes arising from FIFA's decisions, but whether Asian Cup qualifier matches are forfeited remains under AFC's independent review according to their regulations.

Therefore, the most plausible scenario is that CAS allows the players to return to play (temporarily or permanently), while maintaining that the eligibility documentation was flawed. Consequently, AFC still has sufficient grounds to sanction Malaysia for matches where ineligible players were used, similar to how FIFA handled friendly matches during FIFA Days.

In summary, CAS’s “temporary suspension” decision eases Malaysia’s immediate personnel pressure but does not necessarily save them from greater risks: the results of previous matches, including the one against Vietnam, could still be subject to disciplinary review by AFC.