The Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) has announced its intention to appeal against FIFA sanctions after being accused of cheating by the global football governing body.
FIFA imposed sanctions on Malaysian football due to allegations of falsified or altered documents related to breaches during an AFC qualifier.
FAM released a statement on their official Facebook page on Tuesday, rejecting FIFA’s claims that players were aware of or had obtained fake documents, stating that no substantial evidence has been provided.
The association emphasized that the heritage players in question are legitimate Malaysian citizens.
In September, FIFA suspended seven players born overseas who participated in Malaysia’s 4-0 victory over Vietnam in a June 2027 Asian Cup qualifier for a year and fined FAM $438,000 due to the use of falsified or altered documents.
FIFA’s disciplinary committee, in a report released on Monday, noted significant discrepancies between the original birth certificates and the documents submitted by FAM, which claimed the players had a grandparent born in Malaysia, thus qualifying them to play for the national team under FIFA regulations.
The committee found that the original certificates indicated that the relatives were actually born in the same countries as the players: Argentina, Brazil, the Netherlands, and Spain.
FIFA stated in the report that submitting fraudulent documentation to gain eligibility for a national team is a clear form of cheating that undermines trust in fair competition and threatens the integrity of football, which is based on honesty and transparency.
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In its defense, FAM claimed there was an administrative mistake in the document submission and is preparing to appeal the decision using original documents certified by the Malaysian government.
FAM stated that it would formally appeal the conclusion and is committed to defending the integrity of national football based on factual and authentic documents.
The FIFA report indicated that FAM acknowledged being contacted by external agencies regarding the players’ heritage but failed to independently verify the authenticity of the documentation.
FIFA noted that it was able to obtain the original documents without difficulty, highlighting a lack of diligence on FAM’s part.
The Asian Football Confederation, which oversees the Asian Cup, will refer the case’s outcome to its own disciplinary committee, which could result in further penalties for Malaysia, which is set to face Laos on Thursday.
“While FAM claims it was a technical error made by their staff, improvements are necessary, as the 19-page statement includes serious remarks from FIFA that damage the country’s reputation,” said Hann.
