The AFC Asian Cup 2027 football tournament is less than two years away, and football fans are eagerly awaiting its commencement. We are going to discuss the chances of Malaysia qualifying for this tournament. The tournament will take place in Saudi Arabia this time, with 24 teams participating. And so far, 19 teams have qualified, and only 5 slots are left. And let’s see which those five lucky teams are.
Among those 19 qualified teams, the Saudi Arabian team has qualified as the host nation, meaning they were not in the qualifiers for the AFC Asian Cup, which started in October 2023 and goes until March 2026. There is still so much time left for the teams that want to book their place in this tournament. Malaysia is one of those teams that are looking to book a place in the AFC Asian Cup, and we will shed light on their qualification chances. Keep reading.
Malaysia’s Chances of Qualification in the AFC Asian Cup 2027
Malaysian people are quite hopeful of their country’s qualification in the AFC Asian Cup that is going to happen in Saudi Arabia in 2027. Malaysians are not looking at this tournament as an entertainment option but also as an earning option by betting on football matches of the AFC Asian Cup. They can earn by looking for options like M88 betting on betting sites like M88. However, Malaysia has not qualified for this tournament so far. Before going further, you need to understand the qualification structure for the AFC Asian Cup.
The qualification process consists of four rounds, where the first two rounds are doubled because of the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification for Asian teams, while the final two rounds are for the 2027 AFC Asian Cup qualification. We will first discuss the format of the AFC Asian Cup qualification so that you will know how teams are selected for this prestigious football tournament.
Qualification Structure for the AFC Asian Cup 2027
- First Round
The first round consists of 20 teams ranked (27-46), which will play home and away matches over two legs. The 10 winners will advance to the second round, while the 3 best-ranked losing teams advance to the third round of Asian Cup qualification. The six worst-ranked losing teams advance to the play-off round of Asian Cup qualification.
- Second Round
In the second round, there will be 36 participating teams, where the 26 teams are those that ranked 1-26, and the remaining 10 are the ones that are first-round winners. The 36 teams are divided into 9 groups of 4 teams each that will play home and away double round-robin matches. The 9 group winners and 9 group runners-up already qualified for the AFC Asian Cup, along with Saudi Arabia, and these teams also advance to the third round of the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers. The remaining 18 teams out of the 36 teams advance to the third round of the AFC Asian Cup.
- Play-off Round
The play-off round consists of six participating teams, which are the worst-ranked losing teams from the first round. They will play home and away matches in two legs to decide the final 3 qualifiers for the third round.
- Third Round
In the third round, there will be 24 teams, where 3 teams will be 3 best-ranked losing teams from the first round, while 18 teams will be the third and fourth-placed teams from the second round, and the remaining three teams will be the 3 winners from the play-off round. The 24 teams will be divided into 6 groups, with each group consisting of 4 teams, which will play home and away double round-robin matches, and the winner of each group will automatically qualify for the remaining 6 slots of the AFC Asian Cup.
This is the qualification structure for the AFC Asian Cup 2027, and now we will shed light on Malaysia’s qualification chances in this tournament. Let’s start with Malaysia’s key fixtures with dates.
Malaysia’s Key Fixtures with Dates
Malaysia is in Group F alongside Vietnam, Nepal, and Laos. When we talk about their key fixtures, they are as follows:
Matchday 1: 25th March 2025 – Malaysia Vs Nepal (Johor)
Matchday 2: 10th June 2025 – Malaysia Vs Vietnam (Kuala Lumpur)
Matchday 3: 9th October 2025 – Malaysia Vs Laos
Matchday 4: 14th October 2025 (Return Leg) - Malaysia Vs Laos (Bukit Jalil)
Matchday 5: 18th November 2025 Malaysia Vs Nepal (Bukit Jalil)
Matchday 6: 31st March 2026 – Malaysia Vs Vietnam
Most of these matches have already been completed, and Malaysia's recorded wins against Vietnam (4-0) and (3-0) against Laos on 9th October have increased their chances of qualifying for the AFC Asian Cup 2027. Now their qualification to the Asian Cup is at stake, and if they finish on top in the qualifiers, they will easily qualify for the AFC Asian Cup 2027, bypassing any playoff. So, let’s see what the future holds for them.
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