Did AFC 'inform' FIFA about 7 Malaysian naturalized players illegally playing against Vietnam's national team?

AFC's efforts to clarify the eligibility of a group of Malaysian players before their match against Vietnam's national team have just been revealed through regional media.

According to Indonesia's Superball.ID, AFC Secretary General Windsor Paul John proactively requested FIFA to confirm the eligibility status of 7 Malaysian naturalized players ahead of the match against Vietnam on March 31, but received no specific response. This information emerges amid Malaysian football facing consequences from a naturalization scandal under FIFA investigation.

AFC is currently overseeing the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) after its 2025-2029 executive board resigned to allow for restructuring. Meanwhile, FAM and the 7 players involved have appealed FIFA's sanctions to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), with the final hearing scheduled for February 26.

"At the same time, FAM made progress by convincing CAS to temporarily suspend the players' bans", Superball.ID reports. The suspension decision was made before the February 26 hearing, allowing the players to return to club-level competition while awaiting the final ruling, but it does not apply to the national team.

The AFC Secretary General confirmed that he requested FIFA to clarify whether this group of players could represent Malaysia's national team. According to Superball.ID, this move indicates that FAM and AFC expect the legal process at CAS may extend for several months after the hearing, which could open the possibility for these players to participate in the match against Vietnam on March 31 if FIFA approves.

However, this plan did not yield the desired outcome. FIFA did not provide a detailed explanation but referred back to CAS's decision to suspend the 12-month ban until a final ruling is issued. CAS also released only a brief statement without additional commentary.

Superball.ID suggests FIFA remains silent because it has already reached its own conclusion regarding the players' eligibility. FIFA determined that these 7 players do not meet the criteria to represent Malaysia as legitimately sourced players. Previously, FIFA also imposed 0-3 forfeits on three of Malaysia's international friendlies related to this case. Therefore, AFC's request for further clarification received no new response, as FIFA's stance on the matter is already established.

Following media debates, Windsor Paul John spoke out to clarify his controversial remarks, and revealed that the naturalization complaint was filed by Vietnam. He believes that from an initially disadvantaged position, FAM now has about a 50% chance of winning the case at CAS. Meanwhile, rumors surfaced that Indonesian Football Association President Erick Thohir was behind the complaint to FIFA. However, Erick Thohir publicly denied all accusations from Malaysian media regarding this issue.

The AFC Secretary General also clarified FAM's appeal objective: "They (FAM) are only appealing to reduce the players' penalties, nothing more." He stated that if the appeal succeeds, the suspension could be lifted immediately; otherwise, CAS may increase the punishment if the appeal fails.

Currently, AFC and FAM await the final decision from CAS, expected on February 26, which will conclude the naturalization scandal involving 7 foreign-born players. The public hopes the ruling will come before the last Asian Cup 2027 qualifying match on March 31 to avoid affecting the determination of teams advancing to the finals and the draw scheduled for April 11.

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