PETALING JAYA: Former national striker Safee Sali believes Malaysian football must first acknowledge the mistakes that led to the recent ruling by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) and treat the episode as an important lesson for the future.
He urged the local football fraternity not to dwell too much on the outcome, but instead view the situation as an opportunity to improve systems and strengthen the foundations of Malaysian football.
Safee said the first step is to respect the decision delivered by the sport’s highest arbitration body.
"This is the highest arbitration body in sports and we must accept their ruling," he said.
"We should take this as a lesson and ensure we do not find ourselves in this position again."
"We cannot stop the inclusion of naturalised and heritage players. That process can continue, but our main focus must remain on our local products," he said.
Safee also cautioned against dwelling too much on the setback, saying that challenges in football should be viewed as opportunities for growth.
"We cannot change what has already happened and we should not overthink it," he said.
"Things may look dark right now, but that mindset must stop. Whatever happens in football can become an opportunity to grow even better if we choose to take it. Our players will shine and I am confident of that."
He also played down concerns about the broader impact of the ruling on the local football ecosystem.
"It is unfortunate that we cannot participate in the Asian Cup and also the seven players are suspended, but the industry can still grow and improve," he said.
"Our league is not suspended. For now, the restriction only affects the Asian Cup and those seven players, so we should not let our spirits waver."
CAS partially upheld an appeal by seven footballers sanctioned for falsifying documents in an eligibility case involving the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM), ruling that their suspension will apply only to official matches.
In a decision issued in Lausanne on Thursday, the tribunal confirmed that the players will still serve a 12-month ban but amended the sanction earlier imposed by FIFA, allowing them to continue training and participating in other football-related activities with their respective clubs.
The seven players involved are Facundo Garces, Rodrigo Holgado, Imanol Machuca, Joao Figueiredo, Gabriel Palmero, Jon Irazabal and Hector Hevel.
However, a separate appeal by FAM was dismissed, meaning the governing body must still pay a fine of 350,000 swiss francs (RM1.8mil).
