AFC General Secretary Seri Windsor Paul John stated: “We (AFC) were informed by FIFA about the naturalization issue. This is an AFC competition, the Asian Cup 2027 qualifiers. We were told that FIFA began investigating seven players immediately after the match between Malaysia and Vietnam (a 4-0 result in June 2025).”

According to him, the investigation was triggered by an objection from Vietnam.

“That was the first time we received direct information from FIFA. We then waited for the outcome of FIFA’s investigation. Eventually, we were notified of the sanctions imposed by FIFA on the seven players,” he added.

Seven players under scrutiny

The seven players in question are Facundo Garces, Rodrigo Holgado, Imanol Machuca, Joao Figueiredo, Gabriel Palmero, Jon Irazabal and Hector Hevel. They were accused of falsifying documents to obtain Malaysian citizenship and represent the national team.

Whether Vietnam was the formal complainant is less significant at this stage. What matters most to fans now is whether Malaysia will succeed in its appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).

CAS has temporarily suspended the sanctions on the seven players, allowing them to resume playing while awaiting a final decision. A hearing is scheduled for February 26, after which CAS will issue its ruling on the highly controversial case.

The outcome could have major implications for Malaysia’s squad eligibility in upcoming international fixtures, including potential matches against Vietnam.

Dang Lai (Tien Phong)