Malaysia Denies FIFA Accusations of Falsified Player Nationality Documents, Vows to Challenge Sanctions
The Malaysian Football Association (FAM) has announced it will contest FIFA's decision to penalize the body for supposedly forging the nationality papers of multiple foreign-born players, who have now been banned from representing the national team for one year.
FIFA's Allegations and Penalties
In September, FIFA levied a penalty of $438,000 on FAM and suspended the players after finding that their ancestors were not Malaysian by birth as stated, but rather in the South American nation, Brazil, the European country and Spain. The global football authority reiterated its assertions about falsified documentation in a disciplinary committee report published on the start of the week.
Each of the individuals – who all took part in Malaysia's 4-0 victory over Vietnam in the qualifying match for the 2027 Asian Cup this June – was also fined twenty-five hundred dollars.
The accused group includes Spanish-born Gabriel Felipe Arrocha, Garces and Iraurgui, born in Argentina Rodrigo Julian Holgado and Imanol Javier Machuca, as well as Hector Alejandro Hevel Serrano who was originated in the Holland, and Joao Vitor Brandao Figueiredo who was born the South American country.
The Governing Body's Position on Forgery
"Forgery constitutes, plain and simple, a form of dishonesty," stated FIFA in its findings.
"Forging documents strikes at the heart of the fundamental principles of football, not only those regulating a player’s eligibility to play for a national team, but also the core ethics of a fair game and the principle of fair play," commented a senior official, vice-chair of FIFA's disciplinary committee.
The Association's Reply and Appeal Plan
The international body's document states that FAM conceded it "received inquiries by external agencies regarding the players’ heritage and failed to personally confirm the validity of the documentation."
"Initial documentation showed a stark difference to the submitted papers," it said.
FIFA also said it was "managed to acquire the authentic papers without hindrance," which revealed a "lack of proper diligence" by the Malaysian body.
FAM reacted to the global body's allegations in a official communication on Tuesday, maintaining the discrepancies were the result of an "procedural mistake" and the players are "rightful citizens of Malaysia."
"Allegations that players 'obtained or were knowledgeable of fake documents' are baseless as no concrete proof has been provided to date," the statement said.
The governing body will submit an official appeal of the international body's decision, using authentic papers that have been certified by the national authorities.
Regional Background and Political Responses
South-east Asian countries have lately pursued hiring campaigns for foreign-born athletes, modelled after Indonesia's strategy of recruiting Dutch-born players from the overseas community.
The country's sports minister, the official, stated in a statement that "FAM must finish the challenge procedure and that they cannot remain silent but have to answer plainly to all revelations made by the global authority."
"Supporters are upset, hurt and disappointed," she remarked.
Present Status and Forthcoming Games
Regardless of uncertainty regarding the national team's lineup, the team is now ranked 123rd in the Asian Football Confederation standings and is set to play in qualifying matches for the Asian Cup this month, facing the Laotian team on the upcoming Thursday.
