Kelana jaya: The fate of the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) and seven national heritage players concerning FIFA sanctions will be revealed when the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) delivers its decision by the end of next month. This was confirmed by FAM Secretary-General Datuk Noor Azman Rahman during a press conference following a Special Meeting of the FAM Executive Committee at Wisma FAM, Kelana Jaya.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, FAM submitted a Statement of Appeal to CAS last December regarding the FIFA sanctions imposed on the association and seven players from the Harimau Malaya squad. In September, FIFA had determined that FAM and the players-Gabriel Felipe Arrocha, Facundo Garces, Rodrigo Holgado, Imanol Manchuca, Joao Figueiredo, Jon Irazabal, and Hector Hevel-violated Article 22 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code (FDC) due to document falsification.

The investigation revealed that FAM submitted documents suspected to be falsified to verify the players' eligibility, enabling them to participate in Malaysia's 4-0 victory over Vietnam in the 2027 AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers last June. As a result, FAM was fined CHF350,000 (approximately RM1.8 million), while each player faced a CHF2,000 fine (around RM11,000) and a 12-month suspension from all football-related activities.

FIFA's Appeal Committee rejected appeals by FAM and the players on November 3, upholding the Disciplinary Committee's initial ruling. However, CAS has granted a Stay of Execution for the seven players, permitting them to continue their football activities until the appeal decision is finalized.

In an earlier development today, all members of the FAM Executive Committee for the 2025-2029 term resigned collectively and voluntarily. This decision was made unanimously, reflecting the organizational responsibility and aiming to preserve FAM's integrity amidst the situation that has garnered public attention.