PETALING JAYA: The FIFA appeal committee concluded that the Football Association of Malaysia and seven naturalised players gained undue sporting advantage through falsified documents.
In its motivated decision released on Tuesday (Nov 18) morning, the committee said FAM “deliberately” breached Article 22 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code.
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It said the players breached the rules “negligently”.
Before addressing sanctions, the committee stressed that the violations produced clear on field benefits.
The committee rejected FAM’s claim that the fraud resulted in little sporting gain.
It detailed five matches in which the ineligible players featured for Malaysia, contributed directly to results.
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Hector Hevel scored in a 2–0 win over Nepal on March 25 in the AFC Asian Cup 2027 third round qualifiers.
Gabriel Palmero played in a 1–1 friendly draw with Cape Verde on May 29.
All seven players featured in Malaysia’s 4–0 win over Vietnam on June 10, with Joao Figueiredo and Rodrigo Holgado scoring.
The players named are Hevel, Palmero, Figueiredo, Jon Irazabal, Holgado, Imanol Machuca and Facundo Garces.
Palmero, Garces, Holgado, Figueiredo and Irazabal then took part in a 2–1 friendly win over Singapore on September 4.
Figueiredo scored again in that match.
Palmero, Holgado and Figueiredo also featured in a 1–0 win over Palestine on September 8, with another early goal from Figueiredo.
The committee said Malaysia currently sit top of their Asian Cup qualifying group, raising integrity concerns.
It added that prior FIFA correspondence saying the players “appeared to be eligible” could not absolve FAM and said those confirmations were based on the doctored documents submitted at the time.
The committee said authentic documentation is fundamental to international football.
It said breaches that produce competitive advantage must be dealt with firmly to safeguard the sport’s credibility.
