Malaysia has been eliminated from the 2027 Asian Cup following an Asian Football Confederation (AFC) decision to overturn their qualifying victories over Nepal and Vietnam. The ruling, issued on March 17, declared both matches as 3-0 forfeits after the AFC found that the national team used players with falsified naturalization documents.
The result leaves Malaysia six points behind Vietnam in Group F, eliminating any chance of advancement with one match remaining. The Football Association of Malaysia was fined US$50,000, required within 30 days.
The sanction follows a partial upholding of FIFA’s penalties by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). Seven players were banned for 12 months from official matches, including Deportivo Alavés' Facundo Garces. Others included Gabriel Arrocha, Rodrigo Holgado, Imanol Machuca, Joao Figueiredo, Jon Irazabal, and Hector Hevel-all linked to Johor Darul Ta’zim or other clubs.
FIFA had previously imposed a CHF 350,000 (US$444,275) fine on the Malaysian FA for using forged documentation.