World football’s governing body, FIFA, has dropped the hammer on seven players after uncovering a major eligibility controversy that’s rocked Malaysia’s national team ahead of their Asian Cup qualifiers.
According to multiple reports, Gabriel Palmero, Facundo Garces, Rodrigo Holgado, Imanol Machuca, Joao Figueiredo, Jon Irazabal, and Hector Hevel have all been suspended for 12 months and fined 2,000 Swiss francs each for allegedly using falsified documents to gain Malaysian citizenship.
The ruling means all seven players will miss Malaysia’s crucial qualifier against Laos this Thursday. The Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) has also been hit with a 350,000 Swiss franc fine and plans to appeal the decision.
In its statement, FIFA didn’t mince words — branding the act as “a form of cheating” that undermines the integrity of world football.
> “Submitting fake documents to qualify for a national team is pure and simple cheating. Such actions destroy the fairness of the sport,” the organization declared.
FAM has defended itself, claiming the issue was the result of an “administrative error” and insisting that all seven players are legitimate Malaysian citizens.
The scandal erupted after Malaysia’s 4–0 win over Vietnam in June, triggering a FIFA probe. Reports suggest that birth certificates were forged to falsely claim the players’ grandparents were born in Malaysia.
Malaysia’s sports minister, Hannah Yeoh, condemned the fallout, admitting the incident has tarnished the nation’s reputation:
> “This is a serious matter. FIFA’s 19-page report contains remarks that have deeply hurt Malaysia’s image,” she said.
With head coach Peter Cklamovski now missing several key players, Malaysia faces a massive challenge as they prepare to take on Laos — under the cloud of one of the most controversial eligibility scandals in recent football history.
🔥 What happens next could reshape Malaysia’s football future…
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