AFC to issue 'immediate' penalty against Malaysian national team

The Vietnamese national team is set to rematch the Malaysian national team on March 31 at Thien Truong Stadium (Ninh Binh) as part of the final qualifying round for the AFC Asian Cup 2027. Following the CAS verdict, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) anticipates announcing a relevant decision prior to this fixture to confirm the teams eligible for the 2027 Asian Cup Finals.

On March 5, 2026, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) announced its ruling regarding the appeals filed by seven players and the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) against FIFA's prior disciplinary decision concerning the use of forged documents in the process of determining eligibility for the Malaysian national team.

According to the CAS statement, the body partially accepted the players' appeals, deciding to uphold the 12-month playing ban but limiting its scope to official matches only, rather than prohibiting all football-related activities as per FIFA's earlier ruling. This means the players can still train and participate in professional activities with their clubs but are barred from playing in official matches during the suspension period.

Meanwhile, the appeal filed by FAM was dismissed, and CAS upheld the fine of 350,000 Swiss Francs (CHF) imposed by FIFA on the association.

Previously, on September 25, 2025, the FIFA Disciplinary Committee determined that FAM and the seven involved players violated the FIFA Disciplinary Code by using forged documents during the nationality application and eligibility confirmation process, while these players lacked a genuine connection to Malaysia. This decision was subsequently upheld by the FIFA Appeal Committee on November 3, 2025.

After reviewing the evidence presented at the hearing held on February 26, 2026, in Lausanne (Switzerland), the CAS Panel concluded that fraud related to eligibility documents was proven and that the 12-month playing ban was appropriate and proportionate for the players. However, CAS determined the scope of the penalty needed adjustment, limiting it to participation in official matches.

According to the CAS decision, the playing ban is effective from March 5, 2026, with credit given for the period from September 25, 2025, to January 26, 2026 – the time the suspension was already in effect before CAS issued provisional measures.

CAS stated that the full award, including detailed legal reasoning, will be published shortly.