KUALA LUMPUR: Asian soccer officials have condemned the crowd disturbances that forced the abandonment of Tuesday’s World Cup qualifier in Malaysia and vowed to help the sport’s world governing body FIFA with its investigation into the incident.
The match, between Malaysia and Saudi Arabia at the Shah Alam Stadium in Selangor, was called off less than three minutes before fulltime after local fans launched flares and fireworks from the stands.
Players from both teams fled the pitch as thick smoke began filling the ground and did not return. The match was later abandoned and a report on the incident was sent to FIFA by the match commissioner, Rufus Prince of India.
“The AFC is extremely disappointed with the events which took place on Tuesday and we stress that we take such matters very seriously,” Asian Football Confederation (AFC) president Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa said in a strongly-worded statement on Wednesday.
“Football in Asia stands for fairness and integrity and the incident in Kuala Lumpur does nothing to enhance the image of the game across not only our continent but also the rest of the world.
“This sort of behavior is deplored by all those who seek to protect the best interests of football in Asia and help us in our aim to be the game’s leading confederation.”
FIFA has not yet announced any sanctions but typically takes a dim view of crowd disturbances, often handing out punishments including awarding 3-0 victories to the away team, issuing fines to the host nation and insisting future matches be played behind closed doors in empty stadiums.
“The Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) will wait for the results from FIFA on the matter and make an appropriate announcement soon,” the FAM deputy president Haji Afandi Hamzah said in a statement.
“The association looks at this incidence seriously especially when it comes to the security of all parties including the spectators, players and securities in the stadium.”
The visiting Saudi Arabia team were leading 2-1 in the Group A Asian qualifier when play was stopped in the 87th minute after the trouble began.
Malaysia had led 1-0 when Mohd Safiq Rahim scored in the 70th minute but Saudi Arabia equalized three minutes later through Taisir Al-Jassim and took the lead after 76 minutes when Mohammed Al-Sahlawi scored.
Malaysia have slipped to 169th in the latest world rankings and are already bottom of the group standings after suffering a record 10-0 loss to United Arab Emirates, infuriating some local supporters who had threatened to protest during the match.
Dollah Salleh resigned as coach upon returning to Kuala Lumpur last Friday and the FAM appointed former international midfielder Ong Kim Swee as caretaker.
In the lead-up to Tuesday’s match, Ong pleaded with disgruntled Malaysian supporters not to disrupt the game and local media said hundreds of extra police had been deployed in case there was any trouble.
Malaysia’s state news agency Bernama, citing police, said on Wednesday that “up to 11 people have been remanded” over the incident.
The Star Online said police were surprised at how the fans managed to get the fireworks into the stadium.
“Based on how we conducted checks on those entering the stadium, it is quite impossible for them to bring in the items without anyone noticing,” a police spokesman told the Star Online. “Maybe the items were smuggled into the stadium earlier.”
AFC officials ‘extremely disappointed’ at Malaysian crowd trouble
AFC officials ‘extremely disappointed’ at Malaysian crowd trouble
Riyadh 2026: The gateway to LIV’s most global season yet
- We are the world’s golf league, says LIV Golf CEO Scott O’Neil
- Riyadh will host the LIV Golf League season opener for the second consecutive season
RIYADH: Under the lights of Riyadh Golf Club, LIV Golf begins its campaign from February 4 to 7 in the Kingdom’s capital, opening what is the most international season to date. With 14 events scheduled across 10 countries and five continents, LIV has doubled down on its ambition to position itself as golf’s leading global circuit outside the United States.
For LIV Golf CEO Scott O’Neil, that identity is no longer about staging tournaments in different timezones, but also about aligning more closely with the sport’s tradition. One of the league’s headline shifts for 2026 has been the switch from 54-hole events to 72 holes.
“The move to 72 holes was much talked about,” O’Neil said at the pre-season press conference. “For us, that was relatively simple. We want to make sure that our players are best prepared for the majors, that it’s not as much of a sprint, that our teams have a chance to recover after a tough day one.”
He added that the decision was also driven by the league’s commercial and broadcast momentum across several markets.
“With the overwhelming support we have seen in several of our markets, quite frankly, more content is better. More fans come in, more broadcast content social hospitality checks check,” O’Neil said.
Launched in 2022 after a great deal of fanfare, LIV Golf had initially differentiated itself from other golf tours with a shorter, more entertainment-led event model. This includes team competition, alongside individual scoring, concert programming and fan-focused activations.
After four campaigns with 54-holes, the shift back to 72 signals an attempt to preserve the golf identity while answering longstanding questions about competitive comparability with golf’s established tours.
Riyadh will now host the LIV Golf League season opener for the second consecutive season, following its debut under the night lights in February 2025. As the individual fund rises from $20 million to $22 million, and the team purse increases from $5 million to $8 million, LIV Golf is not backing down on its bid to showcase confidence and continuity as it enters its fifth season.
For the Kingdom, the role goes beyond simply hosting the opening event. Positioned at the crossroads of continents, Riyadh has become LIV’s gateway city — the place where the league sets its tone before exporting it across various locations across the world.
“Players from 26 countries? Think about that being even possible 10 years ago, 15 years ago, 20 years ago,” O’Neil said. “That there would be players from 26 countries good enough to play at an elite level globally, and there is no elite platform outside the U.S.”
The departure of Brooks Koepka from LIV and his return to the PGA Tour has inevitably raised questions around player movement and long-term sustainability. O’Neil, however, framed the decision as a matter of fit rather than fallout.
“If you are a global citizen and you believe in growing the game, that means getting on a plane and flying 20 hours,” he said. “That’s not for everybody. It isn’t.”
Despite the separation, O’Neil insisted there was no animosity.
“I love Brooks. I root for Brooks. I am hoping the best for him and his family,” he emphasised.
Attention now turns to the players who have reaffirmed their commitment to LIV Golf, including Bryson DeChambeau, Jon Rahm and Cam Smith. Amid continued tensions with the DP World Tour and the sport’s traditional power centres, O’Neil insists the league’s focus remains inward.
“There is no holy war, at least from our side. We are about LIV Golf and growing the game globally,” he said.
From Riyadh to Adelaide, from Hong Kong to South Africa, LIV Golf’s 2026 calendar stretches further ever than before. As debate continues over the league’s place within the sport, LIV is preparing to show that its challenge to golf’s established order is not, as some doubters suggest, fading.
With the spotlight firmly on its fifth season, Riyadh will provide the first impression — the opening statement from which LIV Golf intends to show the world where it stands.
