Malaysian media surrenders, accepts a 0-3 forfeit loss to Vietnam

Malaysian football is on the verge of another significant blow following the Court of Arbitration for Sport's (CAS) formal dismissal of the appeal by the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) and seven players related to the falsified documents incident.

The CAS decision has led to pessimistic reactions from the country's media, with the outlet Hmetro Arena frankly acknowledging the possibility the Malaysian national team will be handed a 0-3 defeat to Vietnam in the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers.

According to Hmetro Arena, the ruling from CAS means FIFA's previous penalty remains upheld. This paves the way for the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) to proceed with considering and imposing additional disciplinary measures against FAM.

In an official statement, AFC stated it has noted the CAS decision and will refer the matter to the Disciplinary and Ethics Committee for assessment of the next steps. If AFC applies measures similar to those previously taken by FIFA, it is highly likely Malaysia will be awarded a 0-3 loss in matches where ineligible players were fielded.

Malaysian media reports suggest this could lead to the cancellation of Malaysia's two victories in Group F of the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers against Nepal and Vietnam. In that scenario, Malaysia would be deemed to have lost 0-3, potentially completely altering the group's standings.

Hmetro Arena argues this scenario is not far-fetched. Previously in December last year, FIFA's Disciplinary Committee annulled the results of Malaysia's friendly matches against Cape Verde, Singapore, and Palestine due to the use of ineligible players. At that time, Malaysia was also handed a 0-3 defeat.

If AFC issues a similar ruling for the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers, Malaysia's dream of reaching the finals in Saudi Arabia would almost certainly be shattered. Hmetro Arena even suggests that the final group match against Vietnam at Thien Truong Stadium on March 31 might become merely a formality if prior results are overturned.

Beyond the competitive repercussions, the incident severely damages the international image of Malaysian football. The country's media fears the naturalization scandal could significantly harm the credibility of FAM.

Nevertheless, as of now, AFC has not yet issued an official sanction against FAM. This has created a tense atmosphere in Malaysia as fans await the final decision from the Asian football governing body.

For the Malaysian press, notably outlets like Hmetro, they seem to have mentally prepared for the worst-case scenario. By mentioning the potential 0-3 forfeit to Vietnam, the country's media is seen as having "raised the white flag" in the face of Malaysia's likely disqualification in the Asian Cup 2027 qualifiers.