Malaysia 1-0 Nepal: Nepal coach says he is not yet sure whether to file a complaint with the AFC.
Interim coach Hari Khadka said he was unsure whether ANFA had filed a complaint with the AFC regarding Hector Hevel. Malaysia won 1-0 against Nepal on November 18th, with Faisal Halim scoring in the 56th minute of the second half.
A brief response from Nepal's interim coach Hari Khadka somewhat clarified the controversy following the March match: "I think not. I don't know if the Nepal FA reported it to the AFC." While the legal issue remains unresolved, Malaysia defeated Nepal 1-0 on the evening of November 18th, with Faisal Halim scoring the winning goal in the 56th minute.
The Hector Hevel controversy and the legal questions
The issue arose from Malaysia's 2-0 victory over Nepal in March, when Dutch-born midfielder Hector Hevel – currently playing for Johor Darul Ta'zim (JDT) – came on and scored. According to regional media, the Nepal Football Association (ANFA) is said to have filed a protest with the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) over suspected fraud in the naturalization process. However, Nepal has not yet confirmed whether or not the protest has been submitted.
When asked whether a complaint had been filed, coach Hari Khadka stated that he had no information and declined to comment further on legal procedures or the possibility of his team winning if the complaint were accepted. This statement kept the focus on the game, rather than drawing the team into non-professional assumptions.
Statement and direction from Nepal
Reiterating captain Kiran Chemjong's stance, Khadka said Nepal did not want to discuss further the seven Malaysian naturalized players who are currently suspended. "I am only focused on the performance of the players we have," the Nepal coach emphasized, demonstrating consistency in his approach: blocking out extraneous information and focusing the team on the game objective.
Key events of the rematch on November 18th
The rematch ended with a 1-0 victory for Malaysia. The decisive moment came in the 56th minute: Faisal Halim's accurate strike secured the three points. This result helps Malaysia maintain their consistent form in the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers, despite facing significant pressure from regional public opinion due to off-field issues.
Impact and context
From a psychological standpoint, Nepal chose to minimize the distractions: avoiding the debate over the playing status of Malaysia's naturalized players and refraining from predicting legal action. For Malaysia, the minimal victory helped them detach themselves from the controversy, at least in the short term, while the case involving Hector Hevel and the naturalized players was still under investigation.
Selective statistics
- March: Malaysia 2-0 Nepal; Hector Hevel came on and scored.
- November 18th: Malaysia 1-0 Nepal; Faisal Halim scored in the 56th minute.
- Nepal has not confirmed whether ANFA has filed a complaint with the AFC; Coach Hari Khadka said he was unaware.
Legal questions remain, but at the moment, the Nepalese coaching staff's answer is clear: performance is the priority. The rest, if any, will be up to the relevant football authorities in the continent.
