Sports
Malaysia Appeals FIFA Ban on Seven Players
The Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) has lodged an official appeal against FIFA’s decision to suspend seven players from the national team over an alleged eligibility scandal.
The world football governing body, FIFA, had last month imposed a one-year ban on the foreign-born players and fined FAM $440,000 for allegedly submitting doctored or false documents to prove that the players had Malaysian ancestry, making them eligible to represent the nation.
FIFA’s investigation revealed that none of the seven players who featured in Malaysia’s emphatic 4–0 victory over Vietnam in an Asian Cup qualifier in June, had parents or grandparents born in Malaysia.
In response, FAM denied any intentional wrongdoing and insisted the issue stemmed from a “technical error.”
Speaking to Bernama News Agency, FAM Acting President Yusoff Mahadi said the association is determined to make a strong case in the appeal.
“This appeal process is like a second round for us, so we are making better, more thorough and detailed preparations. It was not done hastily or under pressure,”
Yusoff explained during Malaysia’s 5–1 victory over Laos in another Asian Cup qualifier on Tuesday.
The appeal aims to overturn both the player suspensions and the financial penalties, with FAM maintaining that it acted in good faith throughout the process.
The outcome of the appeal will determine whether the banned players can return to the national team ahead of upcoming international fixtures.
