VFF will immediately take action if AFC fails to do one thing.

VFF stated it is ready to appeal to AFC and FIFA if the final rulings regarding Malaysia's naturalization lack fairness.

The Vietnam Football Federation (VFF) announced it will appeal to FIFA and AFC if the Asian football governing body issues unreasonable and unfair rulings in the Malaysian naturalization scandal. The case has attracted significant attention from fans, especially since AFC has not yet announced a final decision despite a ruling from the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).

Previously, CAS upheld the penalty imposed by FIFA on seven Malaysian players for using invalid documentation in their naturalization process. The disciplined players include Joao Figueiredo, Jon Irazabal, Rodrigo Holgado, Imanol Machuca, Hector Hevel, Gabriel Palmero, and Facundo Garces.

According to FIFA's decision upheld by CAS, these seven players will be suspended for 12 months in official matches. This penalty is considered quite severe and could significantly impact the Malaysian national team's strength in international competitions.

While awaiting AFC's final ruling, VFF stated that the Vietnamese national team continues to focus on professional preparations for the upcoming match against Malaysia in the Asian Cup 2027 qualifiers. The federation affirmed that the team remains proactive in planning and will not let the incident affect their preparation process.

A VFF official noted that AFC's decision could significantly affect the dynamics of Group F. If Malaysia loses points or cannot use naturalized players due to disciplinary sanctions, the tactical calculations and personnel arrangements of teams in the group could change.

Under current regulations, if Malaysia is found to have used ineligible players, the team could forfeit 0-3 in both matches against Vietnam and Nepal. In that scenario, Malaysia risks losing 6 points in Group F and could even face disqualification from the Asian Cup 2031.

Four illegal naturalized players officially banned in Malaysia.

British journalist warns of major scandal if AFC 'excuses' Malaysia in illegal naturalization case.