Unusual developments in the case of Malaysia illegally naturalizing 7 players; Jordan creates an upset, putting Vietnam U23 in a difficult position.

Opening Ceremony of the Student Football Festival

On the afternoon of January 9th, a vibrant student sports atmosphere enveloped the campus of Ton Duc Thang University (Ho Chi Minh City) as the 2026 Vietnam Youth and Student Football Tournament officially opened.

Organized by the Central Committee of the Vietnam Youth Union and the Central Committee of the Vietnam Student Association, in collaboration with Thanh Nien Newspaper and the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF), the tournament continues to affirm its position as the largest student football competition in the country.

This is an annual tournament within the VFF's national competition system, held during a significant period, from the commemoration of the Vietnamese Student and Youth Traditional Day (January 9th) to the series of events celebrating the founding day of the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union (March 26th) and Vietnamese Sports Day (March 27th).

The opening ceremony was attended by leaders of the Vietnam Journalists Association, representatives of the Ministry of Education and Training, the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Culture and Sports, the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF), and the principals of many universities, academies, and colleges nationwide.

The 2026 season is expected to be large-scale, with 60 teams registering to participate. Of these, 59 teams will advance to the qualifying rounds in four regions: Hanoi, Central Coast, Southwest, and Ho Chi Minh City. The Ho Chi Minh City region alone will set a new record with 35 teams competing to select 6 outstanding representatives for the final round.

According to the plan, the final round of the Vietnam Youth and Student Football Tournament 2026 will take place in early March 2026 at Nha Trang University (Khanh Hoa), promising to bring exciting football festivals for students nationwide.

Jordan caused an upset, putting Vietnam U23 in a difficult position.

In the early hours of January 10th, U23 Jordan defeated Saudi Arabia 3-2, thus preventing U23 Vietnam from securing a place in the quarterfinals of the Asian tournament.

Jordan's unexpected victory has made the situation in Group A unpredictable. Currently, Vietnam's U23 team is leading the group with 6 points, followed by Jordan and Saudi Arabia with 3 points each.

In the final round, U23 Saudi Arabia will face Vietnam, while Jordan only has to play Kyrgyzstan, who have nothing left to play for. Having already secured qualification, U23 Vietnam now needs at least one point against the host nation to determine their own fate.

The worst-case scenario is when Vietnam U23 suffers a heavy defeat against Saudi Arabia. At the same time, Jordan also wins convincingly. In that case, goal difference will be taken into account, leading to the elimination of Coach Kim Sang-sik's team, even though they have 6 points like their two competitors.

With the advantage of playing at home and a quality squad, Saudi Arabia started the match proactively and opened the scoring after a well-positioned and accurate finish from young star Rakan Al Ghamdi, who plays for Al Nassr, in the 19th minute.

After conceding a goal, the Jordan U23 team rallied strongly and thrilled the fans with two spectacular goals that found the back of the net. In the 38th minute, Azaizeh unleashed a skillful shot from outside the penalty area, leaving goalkeeper Yousef rooted to the spot.

Before the first half ended, Azaizeh forced the Saudi Arabia U23 goalkeeper to pick the ball out of the net for the second time, with a quality volley stemming from a defensive error by the home team.

At the start of the second half, Saudi Arabia pressed forward. After a spectacular goal was disallowed for offside, the 2026 Asian Cup hosts equalized 2-2 thanks to a perfectly executed penalty kick by Al Juwayr.

While the home fans were dreaming of a comeback, U23 Jordan needed only one chance to regain the lead. In the 74th minute, Mahmoud Khrouba unleashed a powerful shot from inside the penalty area, the ball deflecting off a defender in a blue shirt and into the net.

The drama intensified in the final minutes when the referee initially awarded a penalty to Saudi Arabia U23 but then reversed his decision after consulting VAR, even going so far as to issue a yellow card to a home player. The remaining time was insufficient for Saudi Arabia to find another goal, leaving them in a desperate situation in their final match.

Unusual developments in the case of Malaysia illegally naturalizing 7 players.

Malaysia filed another appeal with CAS, related to the illegal naturalization scandal involving 7 players who had played in the match against Vietnam. The FAM held a closed-door meeting and made a surprising decision.

According to the New Straits Times, the Malaysian national team's legal team filed an appeal with the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) yesterday (January 8), requesting that the seven naturalized players involved in the document forgery scandal be allowed to return to play for their clubs while awaiting the resolution of the case.

Seven players, including Joao Figueiredo, Jon Irazabal, Hector Hevel, Gabriel Palmero, Imanol Machuca, Rodrigo Holgado, and Facundo Garces, are serving one-year suspensions from FIFA after the world football governing body investigated and discovered forged documents submitted by FAM (Football Association of Malaysia).

These players all have roots in Argentina, Brazil, the Netherlands, and Spain, but have been 'magically' given the appearance of being born in Malaysia.

All seven players were part of the Malaysian national team that won 4-0 against Vietnam last June in the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers. If FAM's appeal to CAS fails, coach Kim Sang Sik's team will be awarded a 3-0 victory by the AFC against Malaysia.

Currently, Malaysian football has two appeals to the CAS: one from FAM after FIFA upheld the sanctions against the organization and seven players, and one from the Malaysian national team.

Regarding the case of falsified documents for 7 Malaysian naturalized players, yesterday (January 8th), the FAM held a closed-door meeting to find the best solution to avoid sanctions against Malaysian football by FIFA and AFC – from domestic leagues to national teams being barred from participating in international competitions.

These two organizations could intervene more deeply in FAM's internal affairs if they believe the organization is unable to resolve the crisis, regardless of the CAS ruling on the Federation.

A mass resignation from FAM to salvage the situation cannot be ruled out. However, according to the latest news from the Malaysian press, no one has yet submitted their resignation.

Another piece of news that surprised everyone was that, amidst the escalating situation regarding the falsified documents of seven naturalized players, Datuk Noor Azman Rahman was unexpectedly reinstated as Secretary General of FAM, citing only administrative errors and no evidence of illegal document forgery. NST noted that FAM made this decision without consulting FIFA.

Man City detonates their first 'blockbuster' signing.

On the evening of January 9th, Man City officially fired the first shot in the 2026 winter transfer market with the signing of Antoine Semenyo.

On their homepage, the blue-shirted team confirmed the completion of the signing of the Bournemouth winger. The deal cost "The Citizens" a staggering £65 million. The Ghanaian player signed a contract until 2031, becoming the first expensive signing of this transfer window.

Semenyo arrived at Etihad at the height of his career. While at Bournemouth, he made over 100 appearances and gradually established himself as one of the most troublesome wing-backs in the Premier League. His speed, stamina, and ability to penetrate defenses directly made the 26-year-old a nightmare for opposing defenders.

Notably, Semenyo could be playing for his new team immediately. He is eligible to play in the first leg of the Carabao Cup semi-final against Newcastle on January 14th, thus providing manager Pep Guardiola with another important attacking option during a busy fixture schedule.

Speaking at his unveiling, the Ghanaian international acknowledged that joining Man City was the biggest turning point of his career. He expressed admiration for Guardiola's philosophy and achievements, and believed that the environment at Etihad would help him fully unlock his untapped potential.

From his early days at Bristol City, then his stints at Bath City and Sunderland, Semenyo's journey has been nothing short of fairytale. Now, wearing the Manchester City shirt, he stands before the opportunity to reach new heights in an ambitious team.