On October 2, the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) issued an open letter requesting FIFA to explain the changes made to injury time during the match between Indonesia and Bangladesh at the FIFA ASEAN Cup 2026. The game, held at Gelora Bung Karno Stadium in Jakarta, ended with Indonesia defeating Bangladesh 9-2, but the management of injury time has sparked controversy.

Initially, the fourth official, Ohashi Yusuke, indicated that there would be two minutes of injury time at the end of the second half. However, after Indonesia's coach John Herdman and several players protested, the official later revised the injury time to seven minutes. This change allowed Indonesia to score two additional goals in the dying minutes of the match, securing their position at the top of Group A, despite Malaysia also winning their match against Singapore 6-0.

The FAM expressed their frustration over the timing adjustments, stating, "Accurate and consistent management of match time is crucial for the integrity of the competition." They have requested FIFA to clarify the process followed by the officiating team, including the basis for adjusting the injury time. The statement emphasized that this request is not an objection to the match result or the performance of any team but rather a call for transparency and clarity in the application of match regulations.

During the match, several stoppages occurred, including a VAR review for a potential penalty and a controversial offside decision. Coach Herdman commented on the injury time adjustments during the post-match press conference, confirming that the fourth official admitted the initial two-minute announcement was indeed an error.

Looking ahead, Indonesia is set to face Thailand in the final, while Malaysia awaits the conclusion of Group B matches to determine their opponent for the third-place playoff, likely against Vietnam or Pakistan. Both the final and the third-place match are scheduled for October 5 at Gelora Bung Karno Stadium.