Malaysian FA's shocking reaction after CAS dismisses appeal

The actions of the Malaysian Football Association (FAM) after CAS rejected the appeal are attracting notice.

CAS has officially rejected the appeal filed by the Malaysian Football Association (FAM) regarding the case of 7 illegally naturalized players. The decision was made on March 5th and quickly garnered significant attention from Southeast Asian media and fans.

Nevertheless, the reaction from the Malaysian FA side is the story receiving even greater focus. Specifically, FAM has yet to issue any official statement concerning this matter. Their most recent post on their official page was on March 4th, 2026, and there have been no new updates since.

According to observations from a segment of the country's fans, the Malaysian FA is likely considering taking the case further to the Swiss Federal Tribunal (SFT) in an attempt to deliberately prolong this already clear-cut scandal involving illicit naturalization in the country's football, causing difficulties for the AFC and the related teams awaiting confirmation of their positions for the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers.

Following the announcement of the CAS ruling, all current attention is focused on the AFC, as this body will directly decide the fate of the Malaysian national team for the 2027 Asian Cup. Most Malaysian media believe it is almost certain that the "Malayan Tigers" will be handed defeats for their two matches against the Nepal and Vietnam national teams. Even in the worst-case scenario, this team could be eliminated from the tournament outright. In that case, the Vietnamese national team would secure a ticket to advance to the 2027 Asian Cup finals.