Malaysian fans mention Vietnam’s national team as FIFA temporarily lifts sanctions on 7 naturalized players

Malaysian football fans responded in unison after FIFA declared a postponement of sanctions on 7 players alleged to have forged naturalization paperwork for Malaysia’s national squad.

Recently, The Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) released a statement from FIFA regarding the ruling by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) on approving the request to temporarily suspend the sanctions involving seven naturalized players: Facundo Garces, Rodrigo Holgado, Imanol Machuca, Joao Figueiredo, Gabriel Palmero, Jon Irazabal, and Hector Hevel.

Specifically, FIFA informed member associations and relevant continental federations about the immediate suspension of bans on these seven players at both domestic and continental competition levels.

Following this news, Malaysian football fans expressed various reactions, most of which showed happiness for the seven stars and the national team.

One fan said: "If FIFA and CAS have approved this, what does that mean, gentlemen? In my personal opinion, Malaysia has a strong chance of winning the case at CAS."

Another fan commented: "Previously, the FIFA president visited Malaysia and guided FAM officials on how to seek a reduction in sanctions or pursue the case. Everyone just stay calm and wait to see what happens next."

Meanwhile, some supporters confidently believe that with the return of these seven naturalized players, Malaysia’s national team will gain more confidence in their upcoming match against Vietnam in the final round of Group F in the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers this March.

One user commented: "Get ready, Vietnam will be defeated on March 31."

Another fan threatened: "Prepare yourselves, dear Vietnam national team, heehee….."

Someone else declared: "Feel free to ‘take down’ Vietnam as much as you want."

The last fan mocked: "Vietnam might send their B team to play later. Even if they lose, we are still the winners."

Currently, the seven naturalized players are allowed to return to play for their clubs, but there has been no announcement about any of them returning to represent Malaysia’s national team. Additionally, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) still has pending sanctions that could forfeit two matches in the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers against Malaysia, indicating that the return of these players is not entirely positive news for Malaysian football fans.

The issue started last October when FIFA accused Malaysia’s national team of using invalid documents for seven naturalized players in two 2027 Asian Cup qualifying matches against Nepal and Vietnam. After review, FIFA’s disciplinary committee fined each player 2,000 Swiss francs and imposed a 12-month playing ban.

FAM appealed but was rejected by FIFA in November, forcing the case to be taken to the Court of Arbitration for Sport to clarify the legality of the naturalization process. The CAS decision is expected soon, as Malaysia prepares to face Vietnam in the final Group F qualifier for the 2027 Asian Cup.

If CAS rules against Malaysia, the AFC may reconsider the results of the two matches and possibly award 0-3 losses to Malaysia. However, recent developments have raised hopes that Malaysia could avoid severe penalties and maintain their advantage in the race for qualification.