AFC confirms: 'Vietnam vs Malaysia match will proceed as scheduled'

The third-round AFC Asian Cup 2027 qualifying match between the Vietnamese national team and Malaysia on March 31 will continue as planned, notwithstanding the recent decision by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) related to the Malaysian national squad.

AFC Secretary General Windsor Paul dismissed speculation that the match could be canceled if Malaysia faces a ban or suspension from official matches.

"The matches must go ahead. These are contractual and commercial fixtures and should not be canceled unless the country itself requests it," he stated.

"Both Vietnam and Malaysia have commercial obligations to fulfill. The matches are also crucial for rankings. Cancellation is never a good word in football."

Windsor also confirmed that AFC's Disciplinary and Ethics Committee has initiated proceedings following the CAS ruling.

"To inform the public, the committee will convene to make a final decision after receiving official feedback from FAM (Football Association of Malaysia)."

"We have identified the regulatory terms that were breached and have requested their response."

The AFC Disciplinary and Ethics Committee has opened the case file and is prepared to issue a decision. We anticipate a result within 7 to 10 days.

"The initial charging process is underway. We must allow FAM time to respond, then the committee will meet and decide based on that response along with evidence provided by FIFA."

Last week, CAS partially accepted the appeal of seven players penalized for document forgery in a case concerning FAM's eligibility conditions, and ruled that their suspension applies only to official matches.

In the decision issued in Lausanne last Thursday, CAS confirmed the players must serve a 12-month suspension but modified FIFA's prior penalty, allowing them to continue training and participate in other football activities with their clubs.

The seven involved players are: Facundo Garces, Rodrigo Holgado, Imanol Machuca, Joao Figueiredo, Gabriel Palmero, Jon Irazabal, Hector Hevel.

However, FAM's separate appeal was rejected, meaning the Malaysian football governing body must still pay a fine of 350,000 Swiss francs (approximately 1.8 million RM).

Meanwhile, Mr. Rob Friend, CEO of the Malaysia national team, stated today on March 9: "We are disappointed with CAS's overall decision even though penalties were reduced. Based on the arguments presented, we believe there were solid grounds for a different outcome, and the players have demonstrated professionalism and integrity throughout this process."

From our perspective, the penalties imposed on the players remain too severe and appear disproportionate compared to some previous cases with similar circumstances, where a complete suspension from football activities was not applied.

This is an extremely difficult period for the players and their clubs, who have consistently supported them throughout despite not being involved in the core issues of the case.

Our responsibility now is to stand firmly behind the players, focus on the upcoming match against Vietnam, and ensure Malaysian football emerges stronger and more united from this experience."