PETALING JAYA: Former national footballer and Professional Footballers Association of Malaysia president Safee Sali urged other players to step forward after the suspension of seven mixed-heritage players by FIFA.
He said on his social media page that neighbouring nations are worried about the rise of Harimau Malaya under Australian coach Peter Cklamovski.
“Now is the time for other players to step up and take the chance to continue the momentum of the national team,” he said.
“I do not want to feel down about this matter. If we are down, then we will plummet.
Instead, we learn from this episode and make sure we never repeat the same mistake,” added Safee.
On Friday, FAM and seven national players were hit with heavy sanctions by FIFA’s Disciplinary Committee for breaching Article 22 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code on forgery and falsification.
FIFA said FAM submitted doctored documents in eligibility enquiries to field Gabriel Palermo, Facundo Garcés, Rodrigo Holgado, Imanol Machuca, João Figueiredo, Jon Irazábal and Hector Hevel in Malaysia’s Asian Cup qualifier against Vietnam on June 10, 2025.
Following an investigation triggered by a complaint regarding the players’ eligibility, the Disciplinary Committee found FAM guilty and ordered the national body to pay a fine of CHF350,000 (RM1,849,812).
The seven players were each fined CHF2,000 (RM10,570) and handed a 12-month suspension from all football-related activities.
