The global football governing body, FIFA, has officially sanctioned Malaysia with three 3-0 defeats for fielding ineligible players, according to a statement from the country’s football authorities on Wednesday.
This decision marks a significant escalation in a growing scandal.
As a result, Malaysia’s home friendly victories over Palestine and Singapore, along with a draw against Cape Verde, have all been overturned.
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The Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) confirmed that a FIFA disciplinary committee ruled on Friday that “Malaysia is declared to have lost 3-0 in all three matches.”
The crisis began after FIFA received a formal complaint following Malaysia’s 4-0 Asian Cup qualifying win against Vietnam in June, a match in which two of the disputed players scored.
FIFA’s subsequent investigation revealed that seven foreign-born players had used forged documents to falsely claim Malaysian ancestry.
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The investigation confirmed that none of the following players met the requirement of having a parent or grandparent born in Malaysia:
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Hector Hevel
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Jon Irazabal
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Gabriel Palmero
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Facundo Garces
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Rodrigo Holgado
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Imanol Machuca
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Joao Brandao Figueiredo
In addition to the match forfeitures, the FAM—which had already been fined $440,000—has been slapped with an additional $12,500 penalty.
Despite the findings, the Malaysian football body has denied any intentional wrongdoing and announced its intention to take the matter to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).
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