Malaysian fans reacted extremely fiercely when Malaysia was officially ruled to lose 0-3 to Vietnam.

Malaysian fans collectively voiced their opinions after their national team was officially ruled to lose 0-3 in two matches against the Vietnam team and the Nepal team.

On March 17 afternoon, the Malaysian Football Association announced that it had officially received the penalty from the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) regarding the case of 7 ineligible naturalized players. Accordingly, the Malaysian national team will be officially ruled to lose in two matches against the Nepal team and the Vietnam team in the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers.Meanwhile, FAM was fined 50,000 USD.

Immediately after the announcement was made, fans in the country sparked a heated debate. On forums and social media, many supporters could not hide their disappointment, even anger. Some fans believe this penalty has put their team in a severely disadvantageous position in the race, simultaneously ending previous expectations.

“We went from 15 points down to 9 points. But that also shows Vietnam can be defeated. The rules are there, now let's embarrass them right on their own field,” a fan commented with a tone both angry and challenging.

However, many opinions expressed pessimism about their team's ability when having to play as guests in Vietnam in the coming period. “Everything is almost pointless when facing Vietnam at the end of the month. Just the pressure from the stands alone is enough to make players collapse,” another fan shared, even mentioning the idea of “boycotting” the match out of shame.

Besides, a wave of criticism directly targeted the management work of the Malaysian Football Association. Many fans were frustrated, believing that the mistake in using unqualified players caused the national team to pay a heavy price.

“If you want to find players, find those with valid documents! Fake birth certificates are unacceptable. It's truly shameful,” a harsh comment received thousands of interactions.

Even more extreme opinions called this “the end of Malaysian football”, and criticized the pursuit of short-term achievements which seriously damaged the nation's image.

Nevertheless, some fans still held the view that if using eligible players, Malaysia could fully compete fairly, especially given that the Vietnam national team's form is not always stable.

With Malaysia being ruled to lose 0-3 in two matches, the Vietnam national team officially secured an early ticket to the 2027 Asian Cup Finals without needing to concern themselves with the result of the match on March 31.