Malaysia's Asian Cup Dream is Over

Malaysia has been knocked out of contention for the 2027 Asian Cup after the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) on Tuesday overturned their qualifying wins over Nepal and Vietnam, saying the national team fielded players who were not eligible to represent the country. 

The AFC’s disciplinary ruling converted both matches into 3-0 forfeits for Malaysia, leaving them six points behind Vietnam at the top of Group F and removing any mathematical possibility of advancing, with one game to go. 

The Football Association of Malaysia were also fined $50,000 to be paid within 30 days. The association did not immediately respond to a request for comment. 

The sanctions from the continent's football governing body came in the wake of the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) partially upholding the sanctions laid down by FIFA on the seven footballers who played for Malaysia using falsified naturalisation documents, ruling they would serve a 12-month suspension from official matches only. 

The CAS also upheld FIFA's 350,000 Swiss franc ($444,275) fine on FAM.

Liverpool had beaten Brighton & Hove Albion twice this season, winning 3-0 against them in the Premier League and 2-0 in the FA Cup. Therefore, you'd be forgiven for believing that it would be a walk in the park for the reigning champions again in yesterday's match in Sussex.

It wasn't to be. Liverpool suffered a 2-1 loss.

The Reds conceded as early as the fourteenth minute. It's entirely their own doing. Giorgi Mamardashvili lost the ball carelessly and from the resulting throw-in, the Seagulls nodded in from close range. 

But Reds levelled sixteen minutes later when a Brighton defender decided to head back a high ball without looking behind him and that was costly as Milos Kerkez nipped in to flick the ball over the goalie.

In the 56th minute, the same Brighton scorer netted again from close range. 

This was their 10th Premier League defeat of the season; you have to go back a decade to find the last time they lost that many times in the league. 

The defeat leaves Liverpool in fifth place in the Premier League table, but could drop further down the standings if results elsewhere go against them. 

They will be back in action only on April 04, when they face Manchester City in the quarter-final of the FA Cup, with their next league fixture on April 11 against Fulham.