Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) has officially filed an appeal to the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) regarding the disciplinary ruling on seven Malaysian heritage players accused of using falsified documents in relation to their eligibility for the AFC Asian Cup 2027 Qualifiers.
FAM confirmed that the appeal was meticulously prepared and submitted before the deadline, with the association not ruling out the possibility of taking the matter to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) should the appeal be rejected.
Acting FAM President Datuk Mohd Yusoff Mahadi said the governing body moved swiftly after receiving FIFA’s full judgment on October 7, with FAM’s legal team immediately completing the required documentation for submission.
“Of course, when we file an appeal, our hope is to have it accepted and obtain a positive outcome in our favor,” said Yusoff.
“This appeal process is like our second chance. We have made careful and thorough preparations — not in haste or desperation — to ensure every detail is properly addressed.”
Last month, FIFA’s Disciplinary Committee sanctioned FAM and seven players — Gabriel Felipe Arrocha, Facundo Garces, Rodrigo Holgado, Imanol Machuca, Joao Figueiredo, Jon Irazabal, and Hector Hevel — after finding them in breach of Article 22 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code (FDC) regarding forgery and use of falsified documents.
FIFA stated that FAM had submitted false documents to validate the players’ eligibility, which enabled them to represent Malaysia during the third round of the AFC Asian Cup 2027 Qualifiers against Vietnam on June 10.
As a result, FIFA imposed a fine of CHF 350,000 (approximately RM1.8 million) on FAM, while each player was fined CHF 2,000 (approximately RM10,560) and handed a 12-month suspension from all football-related activities effective from the date of notification.
In a previous statement, FAM clarified that the incident stemmed from a technical error during the document submission process, which was made by an administrative staff member and not intended as deliberate misconduct.
FAM also reiterated that it remains committed to defending the integrity of Malaysian football and will pursue all available legal channels, including the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), if necessary.
Cklamovski, who recently led Malaysia to a 5–1 victory over Laos to extend their unbeaten run in the AFC Asian Cup 2027 Qualifiers, apologized earlier this week, clarifying that his comments were not intended as criticism toward FAM.
Credit Photo : FAM
