Expert issues 'urgent warning' for Malaysian national team ahead of rematch against Vietnam

Former Malaysian national team player cautions the home team not to field 7 naturalized players in the rematch against Vietnam on March 31.

On March 31, the Malaysian national team will visit Vietnam's stadium for the final match of the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers. Ahead of this match, tensions between the two sides are higher than ever as CAS prepares to issue a final ruling to the Football Association of Malaysia regarding the case of the 7 naturalized playersillegally.

In reality, these 7 naturalized players have now been temporarily cleared to play by CAS and FIFA. This means they are fully eligible to participate in the match against Vietnam.

However, former Malaysian national team player Safee Sali recently expressed the view that "Harimau Malaya" should not use these 7 players in the rematch against Vietnam. Safee stated that fielding these players in the match on March 31 carries a "very high risk," as if the appeal to CAS fails, Malaysia could be stripped of points from previous matches.

"To ensure safety in the current situation, this is just my personal opinion. I feel they should rest for a while. That is my view," Safee shared. "But perhaps the management has a different opinion, I'm not sure."

"If they decide to field those players, then they must be prepared to accept the risk based on any developments or decisions that may arise." "There is a risk. If they feel it is worth taking the chance, then they must bear responsibility for that decision," he added.

Previously, the players along with the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) were penalized by FIFA for violating Article 22 of the Disciplinary Code regarding document forgery. Additionally, FIFA also annulled the results of three friendly matches involving these players and awarded 3-0 defeats, including a 1-1 draw with Cape Verde (May 29), a 2-1 win over Singapore (September 4), and a 1-0 win over Palestine (September 8)..

Last week, the players and FAM had a hearing at CAS and are awaiting the final ruling. The outcome from the world's highest sports arbitration body will directly impact the standings of Group F as well as Malaysia's Asian Cup qualification hopes.