FAM Must Pay Attention To Technical Details In FIFA Appeal, Says Former Sec-Gen

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 7 (Bernama) -- The Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) has been advised to pay close attention to technical requirements, including time zones, when filing its appeal against FIFA’s decision to sanction the national body and seven heritage players over falsified eligibility documents.

Former FAM secretary-general Mohd Saifuddin Abu Bakar said the matter was crucial to ensure that the appeal is not rejected due to delays or failure to comply with the world football governing body’s technical guidelines.

“When FIFA issues a letter, it will state whether the decision can be appealed. If it can, the appeal must be filed within the stipulated time frame.

“FAM must be very careful with the timing, whether it follows Swiss time or local time. Even a one-minute delay could cause FIFA to reject the appeal, so they must be extremely meticulous,” he told Bernama when contacted today.

Mohd Saifuddin said FIFA would first determine whether the appeal is admissible before proceeding to issue a final ruling.

He said if FAM remains dissatisfied with the outcome, it could still take the case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) as a last resort.

“Whatever it is, we have to wait for the appeal decision. We don’t know what documents FIFA has and what we have — both sets of documents will be compared,” he said.

Meanwhile, Asian Football Confederation (AFC) secretary-general Datuk Seri Windsor Paul John said the confederation will adopt a cautious stance on the Harimau Malaya squad’s participation in the 2027 Asian Cup Qualifiers, pending the outcome of FAM’s appeal.

Last month, FIFA’s Disciplinary Committee sanctioned FAM and seven heritage players for breaching Article 22 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code related to document falsification.

According to FIFA, FAM had submitted falsified documents to confirm player eligibility for the third-round Asian Cup 2027 qualifier against Vietnam on June 10.

The seven players involved are Gabriel Felipe Arrocha, Facundo Garces, Rodrigo Holgado, Imanol Machuca, Joao Figueiredo, Jon Irazabal and Hector Hevel.

FAM was fined CHF350,000 (approximately RM1.8 million), while each player was fined CHF2,000 (around RM10,560) and suspended for 12 months from all football-related activities, effective from the date of notification.

In its latest report dated Oct 6, 2025, FIFA’s Disciplinary Committee Secretariat concluded that several players under FAM had used falsified documents to bypass eligibility rules.

FAM today confirmed that it has received FIFA’s full written judgment on the disciplinary decision and will submit a formal appeal through the proper legal channels, adding that all supporting documents and evidence are ready for immediate submission.

-- BERNAMA