The case related to Malaysian naturalized players continues to attract attention as the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) is taking further steps.
After the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) rejected the appeal of the Malaysian Football Federation, the file was transferred to the AFC Disciplinary and Ethics Committee for consideration before making a final decision.
According to a Malaysian daily newspaper, the next move from the AFC is being concerned by many parties, including the Vietnam Football Federation. This newspaper believes that the VFF can closely monitor the handling process and be ready to take further steps if the results are considered beneficial for Malaysia.
Malaysian media commented that the Vietnamese football governing body can continue to use legal channels if necessary, including sending petitions to FIFA. This is considered one of the possible options if the parties involved do not agree with the AFC's conclusion.
Meanwhile, AFC Secretary General Windsor John said that the case will be considered based on Articles 25 and 56 of the AFC Code of Ethics and Discipline. According to him, these provisions do not include the form of suspension of AFC's participation in tournaments for member federations.
Therefore, the Malaysian Football Federation does not face the risk of being banned from participating in regional tournaments organized by AFC.
Previously, AFC also confirmed that Johor Darul Tazim club would not suffer any penalties despite using 3 players Joao Figueiredo, Hector Hevel and Jon Irazabal as domestic players in some continental tournaments.
These 3 players have participated in Johor Darul Tazim's matches at the 2025-2026 Southeast Asian C1 Cup when facing Shan United and Nam Dinh in the group stage. In addition, they are also registered to play in matches against Sanfrecce Hiroshima and Vissel Kobe at the Asian C1 Cup.
According to the explanation of the AFC Secretary General, the regulations on the conditions for wearing the national team jersey do not directly apply to club-level tournaments organized by the AFC. Therefore, the nationality criterion is not a decisive factor in whether players are allowed to play in these tournaments.
At the national team level, 7 naturalized Malaysian players are currently on a 12-month suspension from FIFA. During this time, they are not allowed to play for the national team but can still participate in training and activities with their club.
