Malaysia withdraws from CAFA Nations Cup 2025, CAFA reacts strongly

The Central Asian Football Association (CAFA) has issued an official statement regarding Malaysia’s withdrawal from CAFA Nations Cup 2025 — a prestigious tournament equivalent to the AFF Cup in the Central Asian region.

Peter Cklamovski as Malaysia’s national team coach along with FAM announced their decision to withdraw from the tournament. The main reason for the withdrawal — schedule changes from the September international break to late August.

FAM cited difficulties in gathering naturalized players due to the new schedule falling outside the FIFA calendar — making clubs reluctant to release their players. This decision immediately triggered a strong reaction from CAFA as the tournament organizer.

“The schedule change from September to late August makes it difficult for us to gather the squad,” said Peter Cklamovski.