The world governing body’s disciplinary committee has annulled Malaysia’s results in three Level 1 international friendlies – against Cape Verde, Singapore and Palestine – after finding that seven foreign-born players had been wrongly cleared to represent the country.
The Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) confirmed the decision on Wednesday, adding that it had also been fined €10,730, bringing the total fine for the incidents to €386,255.
Malaysia drew 1-1 with Cape Verde on May 29, before recording home wins against Singapore (2-1) on September 4 and Palestine (1-0) on September 8. All three matches have now been recorded as 3-0 defeats. While the ruling will impact Malaysia’s FIFA rankings, it will not affect World Cup or Asian Cup qualification as the matches were classified as friendlies.
The forfeits are the latest development in FIFA’s broader investigation into Malaysia’s fast-track naturalization program, which collapsed earlier this year after findings that forged parentage documents were submitted to determine players’ eligibility.
In September, FIFA suspended seven naturalized players for 12 months and fined FAM €375,520 after concluding that forged paperwork had been used to claim Malaysian descent. The players – Hector Hevel, Jon Irazabal, Gabriel Palmero, Facundo Garcés, Rodrigo Holgado, Imanol Machuca and João Figueiredo – were found not to have parents or grandparents born in Malaysia, a central requirement under FIFA’s eligibility rules.
Several of these players played prominent roles in a 4-0 Asian Cup qualifying victory over Vietnam in June, a match that sparked an initial complaint and ultimately led to the investigation. FIFA later annulled that result.
In rejecting FAM’s appeal last month, FIFA’s appeals committee described the case as a serious breach of sporting integrity. Researchers have obtained original civil registry documents from Spain, Argentina, Brazil and the Netherlands that directly contradict the Malaysian birthplaces listed in the entries to FIFA. The committee found that the falsifications were systematic, deliberate and essential to eligibility, and rejected arguments that the infringements were administrative errors.
The ruling reaffirmed FIFA’s strict liability principle under Article 22 of the Disciplinary Code, stating that intent or reliance on intermediaries is irrelevant when forged documents are used. FIFA also rejected claims that previous confirmations of eligibility protected players or the federation, noting that such approvals are dependent on the authenticity of the material submitted.
In addition to sports sanctions, FIFA has confirmed that it has warned authorities in Malaysia, Argentina, Brazil, Spain and the Netherlands of possible criminal offenses related to document falsification. It has also launched a broader review of FAM’s internal governance and compliance processes.
The FAM has suspended its secretary general and appointed an independent review panel chaired by a former chief justice. The association said it will request written reasons for the latest disciplinary decision before deciding whether to appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
The affair has led to political scrutiny at home, with Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim promising transparency in domestic investigations while insisting that the FAM retains the right to a fair trial.
Contact the story’s author, Harry Ewing, at force.l1766060564laboratory1766060564ofdlr1766060564are1766060564sni@g1766060564it’s him.1766060564year1766060564
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