Kuala lumpur: The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has acknowledged that it faces a time constraint before beginning a potential disciplinary review on the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) over documentation issues involving seven Harimau Malaya heritage players.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, AFC secretary general Datuk Seri Windsor John stated that the confederation hopes all legal and appeal processes undertaken by FAM will be completed before March 31 next year. This is to avoid disruptions to preparations for the 2027 Asian Cup final round draw. Windsor highlighted that the draw will occur after the qualifying round’s last match on March 31, necessitating clarity on which team from Malaysia’s group will qualify.
The national team, led by head coach Peter Cklamovski, currently leads Group F of the 2027 Asian Cup qualifying round with a perfect record, having won all four matches. Notably, they defeated their nearest rivals Vietnam 4-0 in June. Malaysia tops the group with 12 points, followed by Vietnam with 9 points, Laos with 3 points, and Nepal with no points. Only the group winners will qualify for the finals scheduled to be held in Saudi Arabia in January 2027.
Windsor noted that AFC will only begin its disciplinary review through the disciplinary committee once a final decision is received from the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) or the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). He emphasized that the review hinges on the definitive ruling from these bodies, following FAM’s appeal process.
Last month, FAM and seven heritage players-Gabriel Felipe Arrocha, Facundo Garces, Rodrigo Holgado, Imanol Machuca, Joao Figueiredo, Jon Irazabal, and Hector Hevel-were penalized by FIFA’s Disciplinary Committee for violating Article 22 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code related to document falsification. FIFA stated that FAM had submitted falsified documents to confirm the players’ eligibility, allowing them to compete in a match against Vietnam on June 10.
As a result, FAM was fined CHF350,000 (approximately RM1.8 million), while each player was fined CHF2,000 (about RM10,560) and suspended for 12 months from all football-related activities. FAM, in a previous statement, explained that a technical error in the submission process involving the players’ documents was made by an administrative staff member.
On October 15, FAM filed an official appeal with FIFA regarding the issue, and they have not ruled out the possibility of taking the matter to CAS if the appeal at the FIFA level fails. FIFA is expected to announce its appeal verdict today.