KUALA LUMPUR – The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) will not hesitate to take stern action against the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) if its appeal with FIFA is not successful.
Speaking to Scoop, AFC general-secretary Datuk Seri Windsor Paul said the confederation is closely monitoring developments but will only decide on the next course of action once the appeal process has been fully concluded.
“At this moment, the appeal process is ongoing, and therefore, the AFC cannot comment on the case in detail or speculate on any potential punishment until a final judgment is received, especially if FAM chooses to escalate the matter to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS),” he said.
Windsor stressed that the AFC takes allegations of document falsification extremely seriously and will refer the case to its Disciplinary Committee once all legal processes have been exhausted.
“If there is conclusive evidence that the regulations were breached, we will not hesitate to act in accordance with our disciplinary framework. The integrity of the competition is paramount, and any violation of eligibility rules will be dealt with firmly,” he added.
The controversy erupted after FIFA’s Disciplinary Committee ruled on Sept 26 that FAM had submitted falsified documents to register seven heritage players for international duty.
The committee found major discrepancies between the original birth certificates obtained by FIFA and those submitted by FAM to support the players’ eligibility.
The players involved — Facundo Garces, Imanol Machuca, Hector Hevel, Gabriel Palmero, Rodrigo Holgado, Joao Figueiredo, and Jon Irazabal — all featured in Malaysia’s 4-0 victory over Vietnam in the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers on June 10, a match now under scrutiny following Vietnam’s official complaint.
FIFA concluded that both FAM and the players had violated Article 22 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code, which pertains to the falsification and use of forged documents in official proceedings.
As a result, FAM was fined 350,000 Swiss francs (RM1.8 million), while each player received a 12-month suspension from all football-related activities and a fine of 2,000 Swiss francs (RM11,000).
FAM, however, has firmly denied any wrongdoing, insisting that all documents were obtained and submitted according to official procedures.
“FAM takes seriously several of the conclusions outlined, particularly the allegation that the players ‘obtained falsified documents’ or deliberately sought to evade eligibility regulations. FAM maintains that no evidence has been presented by FIFA to support such claims,” the association said in a statement.
“All documentation and submissions related to player eligibility were prepared, verified, and managed entirely by FAM in accordance with the prescribed procedures. At all times, the players acted in good faith, relying fully on the verification and registration process conducted by FAM.”
The association added that it will formally submit an appeal through the designated legal channels and is prepared to present all relevant documents and supporting evidence to FIFA.
It also emphasised that certain details relate to official government processes, including passport issuance and verification, which are protected under the Official Secrets Act 1972 and the Passports Act 1966.
“FAM remains committed to defending the interests of Malaysian football, protecting the rights of the players, and ensuring that this process is conducted transparently and in accordance with the rules. The association will exhaust all available legal avenues in pursuing this case,” the statement added. – October 7, 2025