Malaysia's representation in 2013 AFC Cup affected?

Malaysia may lose a spot in the AFC Cup - that's if LionXII win the Super League or FA Cup.

Malaysia are awarded two spots. One automatic entry (Super League champions) and one play-off entry (FA Cup winner)

Here's the correspondence with an Asian Football Confederation  (AFC) spokesman :-

1. How many slots are located to Malaysia for the AFC Champions League and AFC Cup. Pls eloborate on the qualifications.

- No AFC Champions League slots are allocated for Malaysia.
- In case of AFC Cup, based on our technical standard ranking, one direct slot and one playoff slot were allocated for Malaysia.
- However, from the ACL playoff stage (EAST), two losing teams (from ACL playoff Round 2) are supposed to join the AFC Cup preliminary (Group) stage, but this time there is only one team who can join the AFC Cup after the club loses their match in ACL playoff. Therefore, the extra one slot of AFC Cup went to AFC Cup playoff teams, which means that Terengganu (Malaysia) and Ayeyawady United (Myanmar) do not have to play their AFC Cup playoff match. They got a direct entry to the AFC Cup Group Stage.

2. I'm under the impression that the winner of the Malaysian Super League and FA Cup will qualify for the the AFC Cup. Singapore's young Lions and Harimau Muda B (a FA of Malaysia team and not a football club) are also participating. What happens if the following happens:

a. If either teams win the Super League. Since they can't represent Malaysia in the AFC Champions League or Cup. Will the slot be given to the second placed teams?
b. If either teams win the FA Cup, will the runner's up be able to play in the AFC competition instead?

- If they win, they can't participate in AFC club competitions and no replacement is allowed at the moment.

C. If the runners-up of the FA Cup can take the slot, what happens if the runners up is ineligible as well? Can the the runners up of the Super League play instead?

- Basically the same rule applies. No replacement.

You can refer to Article 26 (Eligible Clubs) of the AFC Cup 2012 Competition Regulations attached herewith.

If the eligibility of club is not one of the cases stipulated in the regulations, we do not accept the club's entry and its participation is subject to the final approval of the AFC Competitions Committee. 

Read the full story in today's Mailsport. Also look out for FAM's response in tomorrow's Malay Mail.