Dark days: Joao Figueiredo is one of the seven players involved in the eligibility mess.
PETALING JAYA: The Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) will bring their battle with FIFA to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) after the world body rejected their appeal over the eligibility of seven mixed-heritage players.
In a statement yesterday, FAM said they had received the full written reasoning behind FIFA’s decision and would now begin formal proceedings with CAS in an effort to “ensure fairness” and defend the integrity of Malaysia’s player eligibility framework.
Acting president Datuk Yusoff Mahadi said the association remained steadfast in their commitment to safeguarding the rights of players who qualify to represent Malaysia under national laws.
“FAM will begin the process of bringing this case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport. This step is taken to ensure justice is upheld and to defend the integrity of the player eligibility process set by the Malaysian Government and the relevant bodies,” he said, adding that the matter would be pursued transparently and through proper legal channels.
FIFA’s appeal committee, in their 63-page motivated decision released on Monday, upheld every sanction previously imposed on FAM and the seven players, ruling that the use of falsified civil-status documents amounted to a serious breach of football’s core principles.
The committee said attempts to forge documents to mislead governing bodies “strike at the very foundation of football’s integrity” and cannot be tolerated under any circumstances. They stressed that eligibility rules are essential to ensuring fairness, credibility and global trust in the sport.
The panel found no grounds to overturn the Sept 25 ruling of the FIFA disciplinary committee. All appeals filed by FAM and the players were dismissed in full, with each appellant required to bear their share of the 8,000 Swiss francs (RM41,693) in costs.
Beyond confirming the sanctions – including the 350,000 Swiss francs (RM1.8mil) fine levied on FAM – the appeal committee said the evidence provided “compelling reasons” for further action under the FIFA Disciplinary Code.
They ordered the FIFA secretariat to initiate a full investigation into FAM’s internal operations, including identifying the individuals responsible for altering documents and assessing the association’s governance and compliance mechanisms.
The inquiry will specifically examine the role of FAM secretary-general Datuk Noor Azman Rahman and two licensed FIFA agents named in the proceedings, Nicolas Puppo and Frederico Moraes.
A separate investigation will also be launched into the fielding of ineligible players in three friendly matches cited in the case.
Given that document forgery constitutes a criminal offence, the committee have instructed the secretariat to notify authorities in Brazil, Argentina, Holland, Spain and Malaysia to assess whether criminal proceedings should follow.
