Harimau Malaya CEO shocked by Fifa ban, backs FAM appeal

Harimau Malaya CEO Robert Douglas Friend expressed his shock at the International Federation of Association Football's (Fifa) sanctions and fines on seven of the team's players.

He expressed the national team's respect for the ongoing proceedings, believing that the result will be fair and transparent.

"The Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) has addressed the administrative matters under review, and the national team stands firmly behind the appeal process.

"As Harimau Malaya, our full focus is on the road ahead, preparing a strong team for the upcoming qualification matches against Laos and ensuring our discipline, professionalism, and performance on the pitch continue to reflect the pride and spirit of the nation," he said in a statement today.

He also called the incident - in which each of the seven players was slapped with fines of 2,000 Swiss francs (RM10,500) - a "defining moment" for Malaysian football.

Earlier today, Bernama reported FAM secretary-general Noor Azman Rahman saying a technical error was identified in the document submission process of seven heritage players.

Sanctions on FAM, players

Last Friday (Sept 26), Fifa announced that it had imposed sanctions against the FAM and seven players for breaches of Article 22 of the Fifa Disciplinary Code (FDC) on forgery and falsification.

The players, Gabriel Felipe Arrocha, Facundo Tomas Garces, Rodrigo Julian Holgado, Imanol Javier Machuca, Joao Vitor Brandao Figueiredo, Jon Irazabal Iraurgui, and Hector Alejandro Hevel Serrano, were also hit with a 12-month suspension from all football-related activities, effective immediately.

Fifa said FAM had submitted falsified documents to confirm the players’ eligibility, enabling them to feature in the third round of the 2027 Asian Cup Qualifiers against Vietnam on June 10.

In response, FAM acting president Yusoff Mahadi said his organisation will appeal against the decision.

The seven joined the Malaysian football team on the basis of being “heritage players” - footballers who have some familial link to Malaysia.

Home Minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said that the footballers had received their citizenship after a thorough vetting process, and that all citizenship laws had been followed.

Critics have questioned why footballers could get citizenship while the process seemed difficult for stateless Malaysians who were born in the country to at least one Malaysian parent.

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