Malaysia’s hopes of qualifying for the 2027 AFC Asian Cup ended after the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) lost 3-0 over two legs on ineligible player status, confirming Vietnam’s promotion from Group F.The AFC said the measure was taken after Malaysia used players who were ineligible during the final round of qualifying. “The defendant fielded ineligible players in the relevant matches of the 2027 AFC Asian Cup, (final round of qualification),” the AFC said in a statement. The Kuala Lumpur-based body also fined the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) $50,000.With the forfeits applied, Vietnam now have a six-point lead at the top of the group, making it impossible for Malaysia to catch up. The final group match between Vietnam and Malaysia on March 31 will no longer affect qualification.“Although the match is no longer decisive for the final group position, it is still expected to be a remarkable match,” the Vietnam Football Federation said.The development follows a FIFA investigation into the use of foreign-born players in Malaysia. The probe focused on the 4-0 win over Vietnam in June and last March’s 2-0 win against Nepal. Both results have now been overturned.FIFA found that the players obtained naturalization through forged documents and did not have Malaysian parents or ancestry. According to the governing body, three players were originally from Argentina, two from Spain, one from the Netherlands and one from Brazil.The players involved are Hector Hevel, Jon Irazabal, Gabriel Palmero, Facundo Garces, Rodrigo Holgado, Imanol Machuca and Joao Brandao Figueiredo.FIFA’s appeals committee said in its findings that the offense “strikes at the very foundation of football’s integrity”. It held both the players and FAM responsible, saying the seven players “negligently used and profited from the forged documents”, while “FAM’s failure to establish responsibility reflects systemic failings in management and a lack of real commitment”.
