Five out of the 12 Malaysian football fans identified as mounting a bloody attack on their Vietnamese counterparts during the AFF Suzuki Cup semifinal ten days back were charged with rioting on Wednesday, a Malaysian newspaper reported.

The five, including two brothers, pleaded not guilty to the charges in a court in the city of Shah Alam, home to the namesake stadium where the first leg of the semifinal took place on December 7, according to The Star Online.

Amirul Akmal Nooradzhar, 22, Zulhelmy Akmal Zainol Abidin, 28, Muhammad Naquiyuddin Sallehuddin, 19, and siblings Mohd Aminuddin Hamdan, 34, and Noor Hadi Hamdan, 29, face a maximum jail term of two years or a fine, or both, if convicted, according to the Malaysian Penal Code.

Malaysian police had been hunting for 12 Malaysian supporters they believe to be involved in the assault, according to The New Straits Times.

The remaining seven are still on the loose, The Star Online said.

The charged hooligans could be released on bail at RM2,800 (US$800) each, and the court has set January 22 next year for mention.

These supporters are believed to use glass bottles, punches, and kicks to vent their anger on Vietnamese fans after their team lost 1-2 to Vietnam in Kuala Lumpur.

Blood was seen on the face and T-shirt of a Vietnamese supporter in what the ASEAN Football Federation (AFF) then described as “the most violent and embarrassing” incident ever recorded in the competition.

The attack triggered a storm of outrage from Vietnamese supporters and Malaysian fans were worried that they would be assaulted in the second leg at My Dinh Stadium in Hanoi on December 11.

But no conflict or violence erupted as Vietnam suffered a shock 2-4 defeat in a match where they only needed one point to set up a final with Thailand.

Vietnam had their finale hopes shattered following the 4-5 loss on aggregate.

Thailand easily beat Malaysia 2-0 in Bangkok in the first leg of the final on Wednesday. The return match is scheduled in Kuala Lumpur for Saturday.

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