KELANA JAYA – The leadership and future direction of the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) can only be determined once the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) delivers its final ruling on the falsification of documents involving seven heritage players.
FAM acting president Datuk Mohd Yusoff Mahadi explained that recommendations by the Independent Investigation Committee (IIC) to implement structural reforms cannot proceed until the case concerning the seven foreign-born players is fully resolved.
“The CAS decision will determine the existing leadership structure, including the status of the Harimau Malaya squad,” Yusoff said during a press conference following a Special Executive Committee (Exco) meeting at Wisma FAM earlier today.
“FAM has submitted all relevant documents to CAS and we are currently awaiting the date for the hearing to be set. At this stage, the report and process have reached CAS; we are just waiting for the hearing date to be announced,” he added.
Yusoff emphasised that FAM must ensure all legal procedures are properly followed before making any further decisions.
“The IIC’s recommendation focused on administrative reform to improve our governance.
“We will take guidance from their suggestions and consider the best steps forward for Malaysian football. For now, we will maintain the status quo while the process is ongoing, and after that, we will make the best possible decision,” he said.
He also addressed FAM’s position on recent international friendly matches that were forfeited due to ineligible players.
“We have no complaints about the results being forfeited. That is part of competition rules. However, if the CAS ruling goes in our favour, the outcome could change in our favour,” Yusoff said.
Last month, FIFA’s appeals committee rejected FAM’s appeal, along with those of the seven players, upholding sanctions imposed by the world football governing body’s disciplinary committee.
On December 8, Yusoff explained that CAS had set a deadline for FAM’s legal team to submit complete written submissions by December 18.
“The CAS ruling is crucial. We have to respect the process, complete all submissions properly, and await their final decision. Only then can we determine the structure and leadership of FAM moving forward,” he said. – December 22, 2025