Malaysia's coach demanded to resign after Vietnam's team was awarded victory by AFC

Coach Peter Cklamovski was urged to resign right after Malaysia's national team saw its hopes of reaching the 2027 Asian Cup finals vanish.

Malaysian football expert Zakaria Rahim stated that coach Peter Cklamovski and the coaching staff of Malaysia's national team are no longer suitable and should resign immediately after the final match of the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers against Vietnam. He also believed that executive director Rob Friend is no longer necessary. This assessment was made after AFC ruled Malaysia's team lost two matches in the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers last year, including the match against Vietnam, because the "Malayan Tiger" forged documents for seven naturalized players.

The AFC penalty ended Malaysia's team's hope of securing a ticket to the 2027 Asian Cup finals. With the awarded victory, Vietnam's team officially qualified for the 2027 Asian Cup by topping Group F and creating a gap that Malaysia cannot bridge. The rematch at Thiên Trường Stadium on March 31 is now merely a procedural matter.

Malaysian football expert Zakaria Rahim argued that coach Peter Cklamovski and the coaching staff of Malaysia's national team should resign: "To me, they are no longer valuable because their presence in the national team stems from the 15 million RM budget the team received. The budget will not be increased despite the government's earlier promise of a total of 30 million RM. I am not sure the budget will continue after this phase."

"Furthermore, there will be no major tournaments until the next World Cup qualifiers. Regarding the AFF Cup, we do not need such an expensive coaching team. A coach who can rebuild the national team and prioritize local players is sufficient," expert Zakaria Rahim emphasized.

"Therefore, I think they should voluntarily leave the national team without being fired. Otherwise, we will demand their resignation," expert Zakaria Rahim affirmed.

Zakaria Rahim also stressed that there is nothing left for Malaysia's team to strive for when the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) decided to deduct 6 points in the Asian Cup qualifiers, causing the "Malayan Tiger" to lose the opportunity to compete in Saudi Arabia next year.

For Zakaria, what the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) needs to do now is acknowledge the mistakes that have occurred, rather than prolong the matter if they still intend to appeal.

"To me, if FAM wants to take this case to the appeal stage, that is their right, but this matter should stop, we must move forward. We need to revive the quality of Malaysian football and the national team," Zakaria added.

"What is happening now is that the entire Malaysian football community has lost trust, from domestic football fans, Malaysian people, and even football supporters across Southeast Asia, Asia, and perhaps the world knows about this issue."

"It is best that we improve and build a better team, and FAM needs a coaching staff that truly wants to serve the country," Zakaria concluded.