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The Malaysian Football Association (FAM) has not yet submitted an appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), as it is still awaiting a complete explanation from FIFA concerning the rejection of its appeal related to player document fraud.

The acting president of FAM, Datuk Yusoff Mahadi, stated that the association is unable to finalize the paperwork for CAS until it gets FIFA’s formal explanation for turning down its appeal.

“For the time being, we are simply awaiting the official papers. Until FIFA provides a complete written explanation, FAM is unable to respond or proceed further,” Yusoff stated.New Straits Times.

He stated that the document is essential for FAM to thoroughly examine FIFA’s decision and develop a precise legal appeal when the case is presented to CAS.

Yusoff highlighted the need to address the issue with caution, considering the “significant consequences” of the decision for both FAM and the national squad.

Fans from Malaysia celebrating their national team’s 4-0 victory against Vietnam in the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers, held at the Bukit Jalil Stadium in Malaysia on June 10, 2025. Photo shared on Instagram/@malaysia_nt

The sanctions were imposed after significant discrepancies were discovered between the birth certificates provided by FAM and the original documents held by FIFA. These discrepancies reportedly revealed that the grandparents of seven naturalized players were not born in Malaysia, which is a key requirement for them to represent the national team. The players participated in Malaysia’s 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers, with all seven featuring in a 4-0 win against Vietnam and one of them in a 2-0 victory over Nepal.

Consequently, FAM was charged a penalty of 350,000 Swiss francs (US$440,000). The seven players involved, such as Facundo Garces, Rodrigo Holgado, Imanol Machuca, Jon Irazabal, Gabriel Palmero, Hector Hevel, and Joao Figueireido, each received a fine of 2,000 Swiss francs. They have been prohibited from participating in any football-related activities for a period of 12 months, starting on September 26.

FAM challenged the ruling, but was finally rejected on November 3 when FIFA confirmed the penalties.

After FAM gets FIFA’s complete written response regarding the rejection of the appeal, it will have 21 days to submit an appeal to CAS.

Although Malaysia is still permitted to participate in the upcoming 2027 Asian Cup qualification matches, they might encounter 0-3 forfeit losses for having players who did not meet the eligibility criteria in games against Nepal and Vietnam.

The Asian Football Confederation (AFC), which is responsible for organizing the Asian Cup, will determine the outcome of the matches once FAM completes all legal procedures.