OFFICIAL: AFC imposes penalty on Malaysian club

JDT fined $7,000 by AFC following quarter-final ACLE match against Al-Ahli due to disciplinary violations, concluding the unfortunate journey of Malaysia's representative in the continental competition.

Johor Darul Ta’zim (JDT) club has just received a penalty from the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) following incidents that occurred in the AFC Champions League Elite (ACLE) 2025/26 quarter-final match.

According to the decision from the AFC Disciplinary and Ethics Committee, Malaysia's top club violated regulations in the match against Al-Ahli last Friday. Specifically, up to seven JDT members were penalized by the referee in this match, thereby meeting the criteria for disciplinary review under Article 53 of the AFC Code.

Although AFC did not disclose detailed identities, multiple sources indicate that most of these were players receiving yellow cards during the match. Having too many individuals cautioned in one game led JDT to incur a collective penalty.

The consequence is that the representative of Malaysia was fined 7,000 USD, equivalent to nearly 184 million VND. This amount must be paid within 30 days from AFC's official notification, as stipulated in Article 11.3 of the Disciplinary and Ethics Code.

The penalty comes in the context of JDT having just experienced a disappointing match against Al-Ahli. Despite great effort, Malaysia's team still suffered a 1-2 defeat against the reigning champion. Goals from Frank Kessie and Galeno ended JDT's journey in the continent's most prestigious club-level competition.

Elimination from ACLE along with the AFC penalty is clearly an unwanted double blow for JDT. However, this also serves as a lesson for the club to tighten match discipline, avoiding unnecessary errors in future international tournaments.

Nevertheless, it cannot be denied that JDT remains one of Southeast Asia's top club representatives. Experiences at ACLE will be a crucial foundation for them to continue improving and return stronger in upcoming seasons.