AFC senior official confirms Malaysia will definitely be penalized with a 3-0 loss to Vietnam

Speaking to Astro Arena channel on the afternoon of March 6, Asian Football Confederation (AFC) General Secretary Windsor Paul John mentioned the disciplinary regulations that could be applied to the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) and the Malaysian national team regarding the case of seven illegally naturalized players.

According to Windsor Paul John, the AFC Disciplinary and Ethics Committee is reviewing two clauses in the organization's disciplinary code, directly related to the situation of teams using ineligible players. The issue revolves around seven naturalized players of FAM who participated in AFC-organized competitions, including the qualification Asian Cup 2027.

“There are two AFC disciplinary clauses that will be applied in the case of using illegal players (such as the case of seven illegally naturalized players of the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) in AFC competitions, specifically here the Asian Cup 2027 qualification)."

The AFC General Secretary stated: “The two clauses include, Article 56 - the AFC Disciplinary Committee will handle disciplinary action against the federation and the violating players with a minimum fine of 1,000 USD each. And Article 25 - the match result will be annulled, awarding a win to the opposing team with a score of 3-0 and the opposing team will be awarded 3 points.”

Windsor Paul John also added that disciplinary measures could exceed the minimum levels stipulated in the regulations, depending on the assessment of the AFC Disciplinary and Ethics Committee. However, the possibility of related players being suspended from playing is almost unlikely because the documentation issue has been handled at the international legal level.

“However, the AFC Disciplinary and Ethics Committee has the authority to impose penalties higher than the minimum specified in the disciplinary clause. Suspension (of the players) will not occur, as the penalty related to document forgery has been decided by FIFA/CAS."

Previously, the AFC General Secretary also stated that the Asian football body needs about a week to complete reviewing the case before issuing a final ruling on FAM and the Malaysian national team.

“The issue - FAM and the seven illegally naturalized Malaysian players lost their case against FIFA at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) with the ruling announced on March 5, has been submitted by AFC to the AFC Disciplinary and Ethics Committee. All will be further reviewed before any subsequent action is taken."

Besides financial penalties and the potential of match forfeiture, other disciplinary measures may also be considered according to AFC regulations, including point deductions or additional forms of sanctions.