Will the Malaysian team bid farewell to the 2027 Asian Cup?

Malaysian media are concerned that the Malaysian squad could be forced to withdraw from the 2027 Asian Cup following CAS's rejection of their appeal. This scenario means the upcoming away match against Vietnam on March 31 at Thien Truong Stadium is likely to be merely procedural.

After roughly a week of waiting, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has finally rejected the appeal filed by the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) and seven naturalized players concerning the falsified documents case, thereby upholding the sanctions previously imposed by FIFA.

This decision has once again shaken Malaysian football, even raising fears that more severe consequences may still await FAM and the national team ahead.

Following the CAS verdict, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has referred the matter to its own Disciplinary and Ethics Committee to consider further actions.

In an official statement, the AFC stated: "The AFC acknowledges the decision issued by CAS on March 5, 2026, regarding FAM and several players involved in breaches of the FIFA Disciplinary Code. This matter will be forwarded to the AFC Disciplinary and Ethics Committee."

Based on past precedents, it is possible that Malaysia's two wins in Group F of the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers against Nepal and Vietnam could be annulled if the AFC imposes a similar penalty.

Previously, in December last year, the FIFA Disciplinary Committee: Annulled the results of Malaysia's friendly matches against Cape Verde, Singapore, and Palestine; Awarded a 3-0 default loss to Malaysia for fielding an ineligible player.

If the AFC applies a similar decision to the matches against Nepal and Vietnam, Malaysia's chances of qualifying for the 2027 Asian Cup finals in Saudi Arabia could completely collapse.

In the event of a points deduction, the final Group F match between Malaysia and the Vietnamese team at Thien Truong Stadium (Ninh Binh) on March 31 might be just a formality for coach Peter Cklamovski's side.

History shows the AFC has applied strong measures in similar cases. Timor-Leste was previously punished after its Football Federation's General Secretary, Amandio de Araujo, was found to have falsified international player documents during the 2023 Asian Cup qualifiers.

Currently, the AFC has yet to issue an official decision on the sanction for FAM, making this waiting period an extremely tense time for Malaysian football fans.

This situation raises major questions about the future of the Malaysian team in the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers

For the fans, each day of waiting for the AFC's decision is filled with anxiety, as any ruling could completely alter the landscape of Malaysian football.