Following AFC's penalty, experts warn the entire Malaysian football system

After the heavy penalty from AFC, FAM faces pressure for comprehensive reform. Professionals call for management changes, tightening procedures, and rebuilding Malaysian football from the foundation.

Malaysian Football Association is recommended to take more proactive and decisive steps to strengthen the national team following AFC's severe penalty. Given the repercussions of point deductions and forfeited matches in the AFC Asian Cup 2027 qualifiers, Malaysian experts believe this is an opportune moment for comprehensive reform. Experienced coach Sulaiman Hussin emphasized that Malaysian football should view this as a turning point for fundamental change.

According to him, the top priority is tightening player eligibility verification procedures to avoid repeating recent regrettable mistakes. Additionally, FAM also needs to strengthen its legal department to ensure all management activities strictly comply with international regulations.

“Coordination between departments needs to be enhanced so that all player-related issues are handled more accurately and transparently,” Sulaiman Hussin stressed. Simultaneously, he also urged FAM to strictly adhere to regulations from AFC and FIFA.

Not limited to management, this expert believes developing youth football and improving domestic league quality are also crucial factors. This will be the foundation for Malaysia to produce more quality players in the future.

Although the penalty significantly impacts ambitions for the 2027 Asian Cup, Sulaiman still sees positive signals. “Awareness of transparency, discipline, and football governance is clearly improving after this incident,” he shared.

Finally, this strategist believes that if the current lesson is well utilized, Malaysian football can fully recover strongly. “This is an opportunity to build a more solid foundation. With support from fans, Malaysia will soon compete again on the international stage,” he affirmed.