Korean newspaper supports Vietnam after Malaysia's fraud conclusion
FIFA concluded that 7 naturalized Malaysian players used fake documents in the 4-0 win over Vietnam in June 2025. Korean newspapers support Vietnam, saying the 0-3 score will open the door to the 2027 Asian Cup.
FIFA concluded that seven naturalized Malaysian players used fake documents in the 4-0 win over Vietnam in June 2025. South Korean media, including Chosun and Xports News, saw the Vietnamese team as victims and said that if Malaysia were to lose 0-3, the door to the 2027 Asian Cup finals would be wide open for coach Kim Sang Sik and his team. According to Xports News, Vietnam would then only need one more point in the last two rounds to secure a ticket.
FIFA concludes and wave of support from Korea
According to Chosun, the Vietnamese team was a “victim of injustice” and deserved to win after the shocking incident. The newspaper emphasized: “The 0-4 defeat to Malaysia was a big shock that caused coach Kim Sang Sik to receive a lot of criticism. However, the results of FIFA’s investigation proved that the Vietnamese team was not weak, but was only a victim of cheating.”
Chosun believes that FIFA's decision restores justice and helps the Vietnamese team regain confidence. From a similar perspective, Xports News predicts that the continental football body will have a strict penalty and the scenario of a 0-3 loss to Malaysia will bring Vietnam closer to a ticket to the 2027 Asian Cup.
Professional impact: from the 0-4 shock to the 2027 Asian Cup
The 0-4 loss had put coach Kim Sang Sik under great pressure. With the new conclusion, the context has changed: if the score is decided as 0-3 according to the regulations, Xports News calculates that Vietnam only needs 1 more point in the remaining two matches to complete the goal of qualifying for the 2027 Asian Cup finals.
| Bottom line | Detail |
|---|---|
| FIFA Conclusion | 7 Malaysian naturalized players used fake documents |
| Related matches | Malaysia beat Vietnam 4-0 June 2025 |
| The possibility of punishment | Malaysia lost 0-3 (according to Xports News) |
| Consequences of ticket competition | Vietnam only needs 1 point in the last 2 rounds to win a ticket (according to Xports News) |
The Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) has appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), but according to sources, the chances of a reversal are almost zero. While waiting for the final decision, analysis from Korean newspapers focuses on restoring fair assessment of the efforts of the Vietnamese team under coach Kim Sang Sik.
Vietnam team schedule and squad
The Vietnamese team maintains its focus for the match against Laos in the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers. The whole team will gather on November 10 in Viet Tri and travel to Laos on November 15.
- Additional personnel: center back Khong Minh Gia Bao, striker Nguyen Tran Viet Cuong.
- Returning from injury: striker Nguyen Xuan Son, after nearly a year of injury.
Psychological background of coach Kim Sang Sik
The criticism after the 0-4 loss weighed heavily on coach Kim Sang Sik. As Chosun noted, the FIFA investigation conclusion “restored justice” and “helped the Vietnamese team regain confidence”. The remaining thing is to maintain focus in the rest of the qualifying round, waiting for the official decision from the governing bodies.