Nepal formally appeal to FIFA to overturn 2-0 defeat against Malaysia in AFC Asian Cup 2027 Qualifiers

Malaysia are at the top of Group F in the AFC Qualifiers.

The Nepal Football Association has filed an official complaint to FIFA to overturn their 2-0 defeat against the Malaysian national football team for fielding an ineligible player in their AFC Asian Qualifier game on 25 March 2025.

Malaysia are marching strongly towards the AFC Asian Cup 2027 as they have won every single game of their qualifier campaign and are sitting at the top of Group F. In this article, we find out how fatal Malaysia’s Asian hopes could be if their win against Nepal is overturned.

FIFA recently suspended seven Malaysian players & fined the federation

The FIFA Disciplinary Committee found that the Malaysian football team fielded seven ineligible players in the Qualifier campaign against the naturalization rule. They fined the Football Association of Malaysia: 350,000 Swiss Francs and also handed a 12-month ban to the ineligible players, alongside a penalty of 2000 Swiss Francs each to every banned player.

The fines were imposed under Article 22 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code. Furthermore, AFC is also expected to begin their probe after the disciplinary process. If found guilty, Malaysia could be disqualified from taking part in the AFC Asian Cup 2027, despite making it through the qualifier round.

How can this result affect Group F?

As things stand, Malaysia are sitting at the top of Group F in the AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers after winning four out of four games with 12 points. They are just a win away from qualifying for the AFC Asian Cup. However, if their win against Nepal is overturned, Vietnam and Malaysia will be levelled at 9 points each.

The big question is, will all their previous wins be overturned? In that case, Vietnam will have a sure shot at the top spot and could miraculously make it to the AFC Asian Cup 2027. Since 1980, Malaysia have never played two back-to-back AFC Asian Cups.

After making it to the last edition and looking at their recent form, it was almost certain that their 45-year-long wait to play consecutive Asian Cups would be over. But destiny seems to have written another chapter and further probe and investigation would tell if Malaysia would remain the sole undefeated team in Group F or not.

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