Vietnam Football Federation (VFF) has stated it is prepared to submit an official appeal to both the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) and FIFA if the final verdict in the ongoing Malaysian naturalisation controversy is deemed unfair or lacking transparency.
The case has drawn significant attention across Southeast Asian football, particularly as the AFC has yet to issue its final ruling despite an earlier decision by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).
Previously, the Court of Arbitration for Sport upheld sanctions imposed by FIFA against seven Malaysian players for using allegedly invalid documentation during the naturalisation process for national team eligibility.
The players involved are: Joao Figueiredo, Jon Irazabal, Rodrigo Holgado, Imanol Machuca, Hector Hevel, Gabriel Palmero, Facundo Garces
Under the ruling, the seven players were handed 12-month suspensions from official international matches, a punishment that could significantly affect the strength of the Malaysia national football team in upcoming competitions.
While awaiting the final decision from the Asian Football Confederation, the Vietnam Football Federation confirmed that the Vietnam national team remains focused on preparations for their upcoming clash against Malaysia in the AFC Asian Cup 2027 qualifiers.
According to Vietnamese media TheThao247, VFF officials stressed that the team’s technical preparations will continue as planned, with no distractions from the ongoing controversy.
However, federation leaders warned that the AFC’s eventual ruling could significantly influence the standings in Group F, depending on the disciplinary outcome.
According to existing competition regulations, if Malaysia is officially found to have fielded ineligible players, the consequences could be severe.
Malaysia could potentially be handed 3-0 forfeits in matches involving those players, including fixtures against Vietnam and Nepal.
Such a ruling could result in a six-point deduction in Group F, dramatically reshaping the qualification race.
In an extreme scenario, Malaysia could also face further sanctions, including possible exclusion from future tournaments such as the AFC Asian Cup 2031.
