Malaysian expert asserts that the national team must defeat Vietnam despite lacking seven fraudulent naturalized players.

According to Malaysian football expert Datuk Dr Pekan Ramli, the national team must prove its mettle by earning three points against Vietnam in the upcoming match on March 31.

Expert Datuk Dr Pekan Ramli stated that this is the best opportunity for the team led by coach Peter Cklamovski to prove that even without seven illegal naturalized players, Malaysia still has the ability to secure all three points.

He explained that all past controversies should be forgotten, and the entire team must fully focus on the challenges ahead. The Malaysian national team was penalized by the AFC with two match losses, including a 4-0 victory over Vietnam in the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers last year, after FIFA discovered that "Malaysian Tigers" falsified documents for seven naturalized players. This scandal shocked regional football, damaging the reputation of the Malaysian Football Association and its national team.

"The spirit of the players and the coaching staff must be aligned. What happened needs to be forgotten because we must prepare to face criticism and similar reactions from Vietnamese fans," said Datuk Dr Pekan Ramli.

"We hope the players learn from what happened and focus on the new match against Vietnam. This is an opportunity to prove that even without seven naturalized players, we still have the strength to compete with the Vietnamese national team," Datuk Dr Pekan Ramli told Arena Metro.

Datuk Dr Pekan Ramli believes the most crucial aspect now is rebuilding the confidence of Malaysian players, so they can play with a stronger spirit and no longer be overshadowed by past issues, even though they have lost their chance to qualify for the 2027 Asian Cup.

"Local players combined with legally naturalized players can prove to Vietnamese fans that even without those seven players, we can still achieve victory," emphasized the Malaysian football expert.

The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) decided to deduct six points from the Malaysian national team after it used ineligible players in matches against Nepal at Sultan Ibrahim Stadium, Iskandar Puteri, on March 25, 2025, and against Vietnam at Bukit Jalil National Stadium on June 10, 2025.

The AFC ruled that the Malaysian national team is considered to have lost both matches 3-0 according to Article 25.1 of the AFC Disciplinary & Ethics Code. Additionally, the Malaysian Football Association (FAM) was fined USD 50,000 (approximately RM 196,119) for submitting fake documents enabling seven players—Facundo Garcés, Rodrigo Holgado, Imanol Machuca, Joao Figueiredo, Gabriel Arrocha, Jon Irazabal, and Hector Hevel—to play for Malaysia in international competitions.