In the first leg, Malaysia won 4-0. After 5 matches in Group F, Malaysia is currently at the top of the group with 15 points, more than Vietnam. The second leg will take place at Thien Truong Stadium on March 31, the match result will determine which team wins the top spot in the group, thereby winning a ticket to the 2027 Asian Cup.
Sharing with Malaysian media, Safee Sali said that Malaysian national team players do not need to think too much about the strength of the opponent because he believes that the Vietnamese team is really more worried about facing Malaysia.
Of course, they (the Vietnamese team - PV) are worried and think of ways to stop our national team. But for me, the important thing is that the Malaysian team must focus on themselves. No matter what happens, I think the Malaysian team does not need to be afraid," Safee Sali shared.
Safee Sali is a famous striker of the Malaysian national team before, who won the AFF Cup in 2010. This former striker believes that the current Malaysian national team has enough playing ability to put pressure on any opponent in the region.
According to Sali, the level of the Malaysian team is now higher than before. This makes any opponent in Southeast Asia, when facing them, have to think of strategies to find the best way to cope.
The Malaysian team rematches with the Vietnamese team in the context of the scandal related to the forgery of documents of 7 naturalized players that has not yet ended. The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), has upheld almost all penalties that FIFA previously imposed on the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) and 7 players accused of violating regulations related to naturalization.
These players are only allowed to train and live at the club, while the case continues to be transferred to the Disciplinary and Ethics Committee of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) for consideration of further handling measures.
Most recently, AFC Secretary General Datuk Seri Windsor Paul admitted that the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) is investigating the incident even though penalties have been applied to 7 players, as well as penalties for the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) and the cancellation of some level 1 match results of the Malaysian national team in 2025.
According to Mr. Datuk Seri Windsor Paul, FIFA wants to expand the investigation into the case because it wants to clarify who is behind "directing" the forgery of documents for 7 naturalized players. This could put Malaysian football facing stricter penalties in the future.
