🔗 Share this article

The Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) has announced it will appeal FIFA's ruling to penalize the organization for allegedly falsifying the citizenship documents of seven overseas-born players, who have now been suspended from representing the country for one year.

FIFA's Allegations and Penalties

In the ninth month, FIFA imposed a penalty of over four hundred thousand dollars on the Malaysian association and suspended the players after finding that their ancestors were not Malaysian by birth as claimed, but rather in Argentina, the Brazilian nation, the Netherlands and Spain. The global football authority reiterated its assertions about falsified documentation in a disciplinary committee report published on Monday.

Each of the players – who all participated in Malaysia's 4-0 win over Vietnam in the 2027 Asian Cup qualifier this summer – was also penalized twenty-five hundred dollars.

The implicated individuals includes born in Spain Gabriel Felipe Arrocha, Garces and Iraurgui, Argentinian-born Rodrigo Julian Holgado and Machuca, as well as Serrano who was born in the Holland, and Figueiredo who was hails from the South American country.

The Governing Body's Stance on Forgery

"Document falsification represents, plain and simple, a type of dishonesty," said FIFA in its findings.

"The act of forgery undermines the very core of the fundamental principles of football, not only those governing a player’s eligibility to play for a country's squad, but also the core ethics of a fair game and the principle of sportsmanship," commented Jorge Palacio, vice-chair of FIFA's disciplinary committee.

The Association's Reply and Challenge Strategy

FIFA's report states that FAM conceded it "was contacted by external agencies regarding the players’ heritage and did not attempt to personally confirm the validity of the papers."

"Initial documentation indicated a sharp contrast to the documentation provided," it noted.

The organization also mentioned it was "managed to acquire the relevant original documents without hindrance," which highlighted a "lack of proper diligence" by the Malaysian body.

FAM responded to FIFA's report in a statement on Tuesday, asserting the discrepancies were the result of an "procedural mistake" and the individuals are "legitimate Malaysian citizens."

"Claims that players 'obtained or were aware of fraudulent papers' are unfounded as no concrete proof has been provided to date," the announcement declared.

The association will present an formal challenge of the international body's decision, using authentic papers that have been certified by the Malaysian government.

Southeast Asian Background and Political Responses

South-east Asian countries have recently engaged in recruitment drives for foreign-born athletes, inspired by the Indonesian approach of recruiting Dutch-born footballers from the overseas community.

Malaysia's sports minister, the official, said in a release that "FAM needs to complete the appeal process and that they should not stay quiet but have to answer plainly to every disclosure made by the global authority."

"Supporters are upset, disappointed and let down," she remarked.

Present Situation and Upcoming Matches

Regardless of doubt regarding the squad's lineup, Malaysia is now ranked one hundred twenty-third in the Asian Football Confederation standings and is set to play in Asian Cup qualifiers this month, meeting Laos on Thursday.