Has the Malaysian national team coach not yet accepted the AFC's forfeit ruling against Vietnam?

Unexpectedly, the Malaysian coach shared a ranking table contradicting the AFC's official outcome, implicitly rejecting the defeat ruling against Vietnam.

After being penalized by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) for using ineligible naturalized players, the Malaysian national team still appears unwilling to accept the final result. Recently, coach Peter Cklamovski drew attention by posting a different ranking table from the official outcome, sparking numerous debates among Southeast Asian fans.

The 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers ended with Vietnam topping Group F. Kim Sang-sik's side won all six matches to secure direct entry to the finals, including a victory awarded by the AFC against Malaysia after the opponent violated player eligibility rules.

According to the FIFA ruling and after an unsuccessful appeal at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), Malaysia was found to have used multiple ineligible naturalized players in matches against Vietnam and Nepal. As a result, the "Tigers" were deemed to have lost both matches, thereby losing the top spot and their chance to compete in the 2027 Asian Cup.

Nevertheless, the latest move by coach Peter Cklamovski shows that the Australian tactician has not truly accepted this decision. On his personal page, he posted a ranking table where Malaysia still retains its 4-0 victory over Vietnam. With this calculation, both Malaysia and Vietnam have 15 points, but Malaysia ranks higher due to head-to-head results.

The image quickly caught fans' attention because it completely contradicts the result recognized by the AFC. However, the ranking table shared by coach Cklamovski is only personal and holds no legal validity. In reality, Malaysia has officially missed the 2027 Asian Cup following the penalty from the continental football governing body.

While the Vietnamese team prepares for its 2027 Asian Cup journey against strong opponents like South Korea, UAE, and Yemen, Malaysia will have to shift its focus to other tournaments such as the AFF Cup and the FIFA ASEAN Cup 2026. However, the story of the penalty and Malaysia's reaction will likely continue to generate debates in the coming period.