Malaysian public outraged by AFC

Not only Vietnamese football fans or those from other countries in the region, but even the Malaysian football community has heavily criticized the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) regarding its handling of the naturalization scandal in the country's football.

Malaysians also heavily criticized officials of the AFC and FAM - Photo: FAM

"Transparency between the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) and the AFC is at its lowest possible level," said Dr. Faithal Hassan, a Malaysian sports observer.

Hassan's criticism came after the Malaysian Football League (MFL) and the AFC announced they would not sanction Johor Darul Ta'zim (JDT) despite using illegally naturalized players.

JDT has dominated Malaysian football for the past decade and is deeply involved in the FAM's naturalization scandal.

Three of the seven Malaysian naturalized players sanctioned by FIFA currently play for JDT – Figueiredo (of Brazilian origin), Hevel (of Dutch origin), and Irazabal (of Spanish origin).

Because these three players are not recognized as Malaysian players by FIFA, JDT is considered to have violated all foreign player registration limits in the Southeast Asian Club Championship (Shopee Cup) as well as the Malaysian Championship.

For example, the Southeast Asian Club Championship only allows a maximum of 7 foreign players to be registered. JDT always uses this limit in every match. And when the three players mentioned above become "foreign players," JDT is considered to have used 10 foreign players in the tournament.

However, the AFC and MFL have announced that they will not penalize JDT for this. The MFL argues that the three foreign players are still legitimate Malaysian citizens because the National Register (NRD) issued them identity cards.

"Transparency in Malaysian football and the AFC is at its worst. The statement issued by the MFL is inappropriate, as it creates many misunderstandings."

"If MFL and FAM are not satisfied with the CAS ruling, they can request an investigation into how NRD approved the citizenship for these seven players," Hassan said.

Furthermore, Malaysian sports critics also criticized the AFC for being "too cautious in handling this scandal," referring to the Asian football governing body's reluctance to announce sanctions against Malaysian football.

This view aligns with public opinion in Vietnam as well as in Southeast Asia. And Hassan is not the only Malaysian criticizing the AFC.

Previously, prominent Malaysian critics such as Pekan Ramli, and several reputable newspapers like the New Straits Times, also expressed impartial opinions on the matter.

The majority of Malaysian public opinion is dissatisfied with how FAM repeatedly appealed, tried to delay its punishment, and was still found guilty.

Now, Malaysian football fans are hoping that the AFC will quickly resolve the issue so that FAM can implement reforms, instead of stalling until the very last minute of the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers.

According to information from the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF), the AFC may make a decision regarding the Malaysian national team in the next few days. A penalty of forfeiting the two matches against Vietnam and Nepal is inevitable – according to FIFA rules.

HUY DANG

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/du-luan-malaysia-tuc-gian-voi-afc-20260315170706129.htm