Indonesian media erupts as Malaysia receives heavy sanctions

Indonesian media reports on FIFA's decision to forfeit three international friendly matches of the Malaysian national team with a 0-3 score due to the use of ineligible naturalized players.

According to Bola Sport, this is not only a severe blow to the image of the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM), but also a stern warning from FIFA to federations suspected of “circumventing rules” during the player naturalization process. The Indonesian newspaper emphasized that Malaysian football is paying a high price for fielding 7 players who were ineligible for international competition, including Facundo Garces, Jon Irazabal, Hector Hevel, Joao Figueiredo, Imanol Machuca, Rodrigo Holgado, and Gabriel Palmero.

Bola Sport reported that while FAM’s appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) is still unresolved, FIFA has imposed additional penalties, causing Malaysia’s three international friendlies during the May and September 2025 FIFA Matchdays to be removed from the system and all forfeited 0-3. These matches directly impact the FIFA rankings, meaning Malaysia’s position will drop significantly in the near future.

In particular, Bola Sport highlighted the detail that has caught the attention of Southeast Asian audiences: the match where Malaysia defeated Vietnam 4-0 in the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers on June 10, 2025 is also at risk of being reviewed by the AFC. According to the Indonesian newspaper’s analysis, if the AFC applies similar sanctions as FIFA, Malaysia could be handed a 0-3 forfeit loss in this game, which would alter the group standings and give a significant advantage to both Vietnam and Nepal.

In the article, Bola Sport commented that Malaysian football is experiencing a “crisis of confidence” after receiving multiple heavy penalties in 2025. Previously, FAM was fined a large sum by FIFA, while illegally naturalized players faced long-term suspensions. The continued annulment of match results has severely damaged the reputation and credibility of Malaysian football in the region.

According to this newspaper, FIFA’s strict enforcement could trigger a chain reaction, forcing the AFC to soon deliver a final ruling to ensure transparency in the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers.