Central Asian Football Association expresses regret over Malaysia’s late withdrawal from Nations Cup

PETALING JAYA: The Central Asian Football Association (CAFA) has expressed regret over Malaysia’s late withdrawal from the Nations Cup, releasing an official statement clarifying key details surrounding the tournament’s scheduling and format.

The Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) had earlier announced their decision to pull out of the competition, citing player release challenges due to the event falling just outside the FIFA international match calendar.

The national team, led by Australian coach Peter Cklamovski, pointed to issues involving player availability, especially those based in foreign leagues such as Spain, Argentina, Japan and Colombia.

However, CAFA responded on Wednesday (July 16), saying the tournament dates had never been changed and had been communicated well in advance.

"Malaysia’s participation had been confirmed well in advance, with full awareness of the tournament dates (Aug 29-Sept 8), and those dates have never been changed from the beginning," CAFA stated.

"Unfortunately, this late withdrawal has caused certain disruptions to the ongoing organisational processes, particularly given the advanced stage of planning and preparations."

CAFA also addressed the concerns surrounding player availability, highlighting that flexibility in player registration was already built into the tournament regulations.

"The final registration of players — selected from a preliminary list of 35 — can be submitted on a match-by-match basis. This allows for maximum flexibility, including the possibility of key players joining the team for subsequent matches."

Despite the setback, CAFA reaffirmed their commitment to delivering a competitive and high-quality tournament, thanking participating nations for their cooperation.

"We remain committed to delivering a high-quality and competitive tournament for the people of Central Asia and beyond."

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