The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has recently officially issued a notice regarding the naturalization scandal of the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM).
Accordingly, the AFC said the deadline for issuing a settlement decision is March 31, 2026. This is also the day of the return match between Vietnam and Malaysia in Group F of the 2027 Asian Cup final qualifiers.
This means Malaysia is likely to continue to compete in the full qualifying round, even when under investigation. At the same time, the AFC also emphasized that 7 naturalized players who violate regulations will not be allowed to play.
Currently, FAM is continuing to pursue the FIFA disciplinary decision appeal process, after the agency published 19 pages of documents confirming fraud in naturalization.
If it continues to appeal, FAM will have to submit a petition to the FIFA Committee for Reprimand. In case of dismissal, they have the right to take the case to the International Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).
According to experts, the entire process could take 2-4 months, or even longer if Malaysia is determined to pursue it. While waiting for the final decision, the Malaysian team has not had any points deducted or lost in any match.
However, AFC Secretary General - Windsor John warned that if FAM is determined to have violated after all appeals were rejected, Malaysia could be held to a series of losses and have their points deducted, putting them at risk of being eliminated from the tournament.
