The Chosun Ilbo emphasized: “Coach Kim Sang Sik’s Vietnam National Team is a victim of injustice as Malaysia faked documents for seven naturalized players to win. Coach Kim Sang Sik’s squad previously lost 0-4 to Malaysia, but now they stand a chance to be awarded a 3-0 victory.
This is not merely a disciplinary sanction; FIFA intends to use this opportunity to deter other football federations from using naturalized players improperly.
The Chosun Ilbo believes the Vietnamese team is a victim of injustice (Photo: FAM).
In recent years, the Vietnam national team has been considered the most stable team in Southeast Asia. The 0-4 loss to Malaysia in June was truly a surprising result. It led to much criticism for Coach Kim Sang Sik. However, after FIFA investigated Malaysia’s wrongdoing, everything became clear. Coach Kim Sang Sik and the Vietnam national team can breathe a sigh of relief.”
FAM claimed their wrongdoing was merely an “administrative error,” but FIFA pointed out that it was a “systematic scheme.” Malaysia attempted to cheat but could not fool FIFA.
Meanwhile, Xports News headlined: “Coach Kim Sang Sik’s Resounding Victory. The Vietnam National Team Goes from Hell to Heaven. The Situation Reverses Rapidly. Malaysia Faces Complete Defeat Due to Fraudulent Naturalization.”
In the article, the author asserts that the likelihood of the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) successfully appealing to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) is almost zero. They affirmed that the Malaysian team is almost certainly facing a 0-3 loss to both the Vietnam national team and Nepal in the Asian Cup 2027 qualifiers.
Previously, Coach Kim Sang Sik’s squad’s chances of progressing were slim, but now the team has “gone from hell to heaven” as the door to participating in the Asian Cup 2027 has swung wide open.
The Vietnam national team stands a chance to be awarded a 3-0 victory against Malaysia (Photo: VFF).
Xports News commented: “The Vietnam national team, under the guidance of Coach Kim Sang Sik, is closer than ever to a ticket to the Asian Cup 2027 finals, after Malaysia faces the risk of being penalized for using illegally naturalized players.
Previously, Malaysia led the group with 12 points, while Vietnam was second with 9 points, with only two qualifying matches remaining. Notably, Vietnam’s only defeat was the 0-4 loss to Malaysia in June. After that match, Vietnamese media harshly criticized Coach Kim Sang Sik and even called for his dismissal.
However, the Vietnam national team’s situation reversed 180 degrees when FIFA concluded that FAM had forged birth certificates for seven naturalized players used in the match against Vietnam, leading to a severe penalty.
FAM will appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), but experts believe the chances of winning the case are almost zero.
The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) is reportedly ready to apply disciplinary regulations, under which Malaysia will be deemed to have lost 0-3 in two matches where they used illegally naturalized players, including the 2-0 win against Nepal and the 4-0 win against Vietnam.
If the forfeiture is issued, Malaysia will lose 6 points, while Vietnam will gain 3 points, thereby moving to the top of Group F with 12 points. At that point, Coach Kim Sang Sik’s team would only need to earn at least 1 more point in the remaining two matches to secure a spot in the Asian Cup 2027. AFC could even immediately disqualify Malaysia from the tournament. If that happens, the Vietnam national team would officially top Group F and secure a ticket to the finals, regardless of the results of the remaining matches.”
On November 3, FIFA decided to uphold the sanctions against FAM. Accordingly, FAM was fined 350,000 Swiss francs (equivalent to 11.5 billion VND). Meanwhile, the seven naturalized players — Jon Irazabal, Joao Figueiredo, Hector Hevel, Rodrigo Holgado, Imanol Machuca, Facundo Garces, and Gabriel Palmero — must each pay a fine of 2,000 Swiss francs (about 66 million VND) and face a 12-month suspension from all football-related activities.
