Malaysia football federation to fight FIFA sanctions for cheating claims

FIFA cited falsified oregon doctored documentation successful sanctioning Malaysia shot for breaches successful an AFC qualifier.

The Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) has said it volition entreaty FIFA sanctions aft being accused by football’s governing assemblage of cheating.

“Claims that players ‘acquired oregon were alert of fake documents’ are baseless arsenic nary coagulated grounds has been presented truthful far,” FAM said successful a connection posted connected Facebook connected Tuesday, disputing FIFA’s findings. “FAM would similar to asseverate that the practice players progressive are morganatic Malaysian citizens.”

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In September, FIFA suspended 7 overseas-born players who had featured for Malaysia successful June’s 4-0 triumph implicit Vietnam successful a 2027 Asian Cup qualifier for 12 months and fined FAM $438,000, citing falsified oregon doctored documentation.

In its afloat study released Monday, the FIFA disciplinary committee said “the archetypal commencement certificates indicated a crisp opposition to the documentation provided”, referring to papers from the FAM claiming the players had a grandparent calved successful Malaysia, making them eligible to correspond the state nether FIFA rules.

The committee reported that the archetypal certificates showed that the said household members had really been calved successful the aforesaid countries arsenic the players: Argentina, Brazil, the Netherlands and Spain.

“Presenting fraudulent documentation with the intent of gaining eligibility to play for a nationalist squad constitutes, axenic and simple, a signifier of cheating, which cannot successful immoderate mode beryllium condoned,” FIFA said successful the report. “Such behaviour erodes spot successful the fairness of competitions and jeopardizes the precise essence of shot arsenic an enactment founded connected honesty and transparency.”

In its defence, FAM said determination had been an administrative mistake erstwhile submitting documents and that it is preparing to entreaty the ruling utilizing archetypal documents that person been certified by the Malaysian government.

“FAM volition beryllium presenting an authoritative entreaty regarding this conclusion, and stay committed to defending the integrity of nationalist shot based connected facts and authentic documents,” it said.

The FIFA study said FAM admitted it “was contacted by outer agencies regarding the Players’ practice and yet failed to independently verify the authenticity of the documentation”. FIFA added that it was “able to get the applicable archetypal documents without hindrance”, which highlighted “a deficiency of due diligence” by FAM.

The Asian Football Confederation, which runs the Asian Cup, volition notation the eventual results of the lawsuit to its ain disciplinary committee, which could mean further punishments for Malaysia, which volition play against Laos connected Thursday.

The revelations person provoked choler successful Malaysia.

“Although FAM has issued a connection saying it was a method error, a mistake by their staff, each of that needs betterment due to the fact that the 19-page connection contains precise superior remarks by FIFA, which tarnish the country’s image.” Hannah Yeoh, Malaysia’s sports minister, said. “Fans are angry, wounded and disappointed.”