Football

FIFA has dismissed an appeal and upheld their sanctions on the Football Association of Malaysia and the seven players who allegedly used falsified documents to gain eligibility to represent Harimau Malaya internationally. Photo vff.org.vn

HÀ NỘI — Malaysian football has suffered a major setback after world football governing body FIFA rejected the Football Association of Malaysia’s (FAM) appeal over the suspension of seven mixed-heritage players on Monday.

“After analysing the submissions and conducting a hearing, the FIFA Appeal Committee decided to dismiss the appeal and confirm in its entirety the following sanctions imposed upon FAM and the seven players,” said the committee, led by Chairman Nick Eggleston.

FAM has been ordered to pay a fine of 350,000 Swiss francs (US$437,000) to FIFA, while players Gabriel Palmero, Facundo Garces, Rodrigo Holgado, Imanol Machuca, Joao Figueiredo, Jon Irazábal and Hector Hevel were each fined 2,000 Swiss francs and handed a 12-month suspension from all football-related activities.

FAM and the players have been notified of the terms of the decision and have 10 days to request a motivated decision.

Earlier, Malaysian football was thrown into turmoil in September when FIFA ruled that the federation had breached Article 22 of its disciplinary code, relating to 'having used forged and/or falsified documents in FIFA proceedings.'

The players were granted eligibility to represent Malaysia at various points between March and June and featured in a 2-0 win over Nepal and a 4-0 win over Việt Nam in the 2027 AFC Asian Cup qualifiers.

However, a formal complaint was lodged a day later, leading to an investigation by FIFA’s disciplinary committee, which found that offences had occurred.

A detailed report released on October 6 revealed that the original birthplaces of the players’ grandparents had been 'doctored.' This meant that FAM and the players, who hail from Argentina, Brazil, the Netherlands and Spain, had used falsified documents to claim eligibility for Malaysia’s national team.

FIFA confirmed that the Malaysian federation has one month to decide whether to appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).

In response, FAM suspended its secretary general, Noor Azman Rahman, and announced an internal investigation.

The controversy has further embarrassed FAM, particularly as its former president, Hamidin bin Haji Mohd Amin, currently sits on FIFA’s 37-member council.

Following the failed appeal, FAM issued a statement confirming its intention to take the case to CAS and expressing surprise at the decision.

“The Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) has received the appeal decision from the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA), where our appeal has been rejected,” read the statement signed by acting president Yusoff Mahadi.

“FAM will write to FIFA to obtain full details and written reasons for the decision before taking the next step to appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).

“This is the first time FAM has faced a situation like this, and our lawyers and management are very surprised by the decision. However, FAM will continue to firmly fight for the rights of the players and the interests of Malaysian football at the international level.”

Malaysia are allowed to play the remaining matches in the final round of the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers. However, under Asian Football Confederation disciplinary regulations, the team faces the risk of 0-3 forfeits in the matches against Nepal and Việt Nam due to fielding ineligible players.

A final decision from the AFC will be made before March 31, 2026, when the qualification process concludes and the final list of qualified teams is confirmed. — VNS