AFC delivers a painful verdict for 7 naturalized Malaysian players

The AFC Secretary-General confirms that 7 naturalized players who violated regulations will no longer be eligible to represent the Malaysian national team, even after completing the 12-month suspension imposed by FIFA.

Malaysian football continues to face severe consequences from the naturalization scandal, as the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) upholds the sanctions previously issued by FIFA. This ruling not only maintains the 12-month suspension for the seven involved players but also virtually eliminates their future chances of playing for the Malaysian national team.

The seven affected players are Hector Hevel, Imanol Machuca, Facundo Garces, Rodrigo Holgado, Joao Figueiredo, Jon Irazabal, and Gabriel Palmero. These players were found to have used invalid naturalization documents during their registration process for the Harimau Malaya national team.

According to the CAS ruling, the 12-month suspension applies only to official matches. This means the players are still permitted to train or participate in club football activities during their suspension period. However, the larger issue is that they will no longer meet the eligibility criteria to represent the Malaysian national team after the suspension ends.

The Secretary-General of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), Datuk Seri Windsor Paul John, explicitly confirmed this when discussing the future of these players. “Currently, after the 12 months, it is likely that these seven players will not be able to play for the Harimau Malaya national team according to the Court of Arbitration for Sport’s decision,” he stated.

This information from AFC essentially ends the hopes of the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) to continue using the naturalized players who were once considered crucial to the national team. In a context where the national team is seeking to strengthen its squad, losing multiple experienced international players simultaneously is a significant setback.

According to Malaysian sports and commercial lawyer Nik Erman Nik Roseli, there remains a possible pathway for these players to represent Malaysia in the future, but the conditions are quite complex. “These players are not eligible to represent Malaysia even after completing the 12-month suspension. They still lack Malaysian lineage,” he explained.

Nik Erman stated that the only way they could become eligible is by undergoing the standard naturalization process. “They could still represent Malaysia if they reside here for five years through the naturalization process,” he added.

Besides the suspension for the players, CAS also dismissed FAM's appeal regarding the case. This means the financial penalty of 350,000 Swiss francs imposed by FIFA remains unchanged.

Lawyer Nik Erman also acknowledged that this ruling demonstrates that FAM and the involved players failed to prove the validity of their documents. “In summary, the appeal was dismissed because there was indeed document forgery. All arguments claiming no forgery were rejected,” he emphasized.

The naturalization scandal is having a major impact on Malaysian football. Not only has the national team lost several players, but Harimau Malaya also faces long-term consequences regarding squad strength and reputation in upcoming international competitions.