The Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) and the national team Malaysia national football team may soon face disciplinary consequences from the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) following the latest ruling by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).
The development comes after CAS upheld a 12-month suspension on seven heritage players who were found to be involved in the falsification of eligibility documents.
Following the decision announced on Thursday, the case has now been formally referred to the AFC Disciplinary and Ethics Committee, which will conduct further review before determining any sanctions that could be imposed on Malaysian football.
According to AFC General Secretary Windsor Paul John, the committee is expected to require approximately one week to examine the case thoroughly before announcing a final verdict.
He explained that the disciplinary body will carefully analyze every aspect of the situation, including the CAS findings and the broader implications for continental competitions.
However, Windsor did not rule out the possibility of points deductions affecting Malaysia, particularly in matches linked to the 2027 AFC Asian Cup qualification campaign.
“The AFC will leave the matter to the AFC Disciplinary and Ethics Committee for further action and review, which may take about a week before a decision is known,” Windsor said.
“According to the regulations, among the possible punishments for FAM and the Malaysian national team could include points deductions and other sanctions.
But I cannot confirm anything yet because the final decision rests with the committee.”
The seven players implicated in the document falsification case are Héctor Hevel, Imanol Machuca, Facundo Garcés, Rodrigo Holgado, João Figueiredo, Jon Irazabal, Gabriel Palmero
These players featured in two Asian Cup qualifying matches against Nepal and Vietnam, where Malaysia recorded victories in both fixtures.
They were also involved in three international friendly matches against Cape Verde national football team, Singapore national football team, and Palestine national football team.
However, global governing body FIFA has voided the results of those friendly matches as part of the disciplinary process.
With the matter now firmly in the hands of the AFC disciplinary authorities, Malaysian football faces a tense waiting period.
Potential sanctions — including points deductions or other penalties — could impact the national team’s standing in the Asian Cup qualification pathway and cast a shadow over the progress of the Harimau Malaya project.
Credit Photo : AFC
