The victories of the Malaysian team against the Vietnamese team (4-0, June 11, 2025) and the Nepalese team (2-0, March 25, 2025) in the Asian Cup qualifiers last year were recently revoked by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) due to the use of unqualified players.
The Malaysian team will rematch with the Vietnamese team in the final match of the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers in Group F. According to the schedule, this match will take place on the evening of March 31st at Thien Truong Stadium.
At this time, the Vietnamese team has won a ticket to the 2027 Asian Cup. Meanwhile, the Malaysian team was deprived of 2 victories and had 6 points deducted, so they no longer have a chance to advance. Despite facing unfavorable circumstances, striker Safawi Rasid affirmed that the Malaysian team will play determinedly in the upcoming match.
This striker believes that the presence of some experienced players in the squad will help the Malaysian team maintain its ability to compete with the Vietnamese team. He said: "This is our last group stage match, it is of honor.
Although we could not win a ticket to the Asian Cup, we still aim for a positive result, even if it is a match away from home. We still have players who regularly participate in the national team. We are all optimistic and focused on the match against Vietnam".
Safawi was born in 1997, has worn the Malaysian national team jersey 70 times and scored 22 goals. The last time he scored for the national team was in a friendly match against the Philippines 2-1 on September 4, 2024.
Meanwhile, he last started for the Malaysian national team on November 18, 2025, when he played the full 90 minutes in the 1-0 victory over Nepal (November 18, 2025) in the second leg of the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers.
This season, Safawi is still maintaining high form when scoring 12 goals and having 3 assists for Kuala Lumpur City club. He hopes that foundation will help him play well when he joins the Malaysian national team.
Despite criticism from some fans saying he was past his prime, Safawi is confident that his performance will speak for itself. He said: “In the M-League, I am very happy to have played well and hope to bring this form to the national team in the upcoming match.
Fans can say whatever they want, but I will try to prove myself, statistics will not know how to lie. I will dedicate myself to the team if I get to play, I don't want to waste this opportunity.
