Malaysian fans continue to have to wait for the verdict from the World Football Federation (FIFA) regarding the case of the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) being accused of naturalizing 7 players in violation of regulations - a scandal that could seriously affect the future of the country's football.
According to the original plan, FIFA would announce the results of FAM's appeal on October 31. However, up to that time, the organization had not yet made an official announcement. British and Malaysian press said FIFA needed more time to verify the evidence, while FAM had also returned the appeal due to procedural errors.
Sports lawyer Nik Erman Nik Roseli, in an interview with the Malaysian media, said: FAM admitted that it had previously submitted incorrect complaint documents, so FIFA allowed them to submit more accurate documents.
According to Mr. Roseli, this has prolonged the review process, because FIFA's disciplinary body needs to re-evaluate all the evidence before making a final decision.
Pursuant to Article 60 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code, the appealants are allowed to add new documents and evidence and propose witnesses during the review process. This is the main reason for the delay in the verdict.
The case originated in September 2025, when FIFA fined FAM 350,000 CHF and banned 7 naturalized players including Imanol Machuca, Rodrigo Holgado, facundo Garces, Joao figueiredo, Hector Hevel, Jon Irazabal and Gabriel Palmero from playing for 12 months for for forging their naturalization records.
Currently, Malaysian fans are hoping that the verdict expected to be announced early next week will bring positive results, helping the players return to competition soon, especially in the context of the national team preparing for the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers.
