Malaysian Lawyer: 'The chances for FAM to win the illegal naturalization lawsuit are very slim'

A Malaysian lawyer has expressed serious concerns about the Football Association of Malaysia's (FAM) likelihood of winning the lawsuit against FIFA, warning that the situation could even worsen.

Syed Nur Aiman Syed Abdul Hamid, a sports law attorney involved with Malaysian football, stated that the Independent Investigation Committee (IIC) report related to the appeal filed by FAM at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) may lead to two different outcomes for two groups: the national governing body FAM and the seven players involved.

In section 50 of the IIC report, FAM’s Secretary General Datuk Noor Azman Rahman (who is currently suspended) acknowledged that FAM's leadership was involved in handling documents alleged to be forged during the players' naturalization process. This indirectly indicates that the likelihood of a favorable appeal outcome for FAM is very slim.

Meanwhile, for the seven players, the chance of having their 12-month suspension reduced appears higher, based on arguments presented during the trial.

“I see two ‘sides’: FAM and the players. I believe FAM’s chances of winning are very slim. Given the leadership’s admission, the likelihood of a successful appeal by FAM is quite low,” analyzed lawyer Syed Nur Aiman.

On the other hand, the seven illegally naturalized players have a higher chance of a successful appeal. According to this lawyer, the players have grounds to argue that they were not the ones who committed the violation but were merely caught up in the naturalization process managed by FAM.

“The players’ appeal to CAS mainly aims to reduce the 12-month ban. Although the chances are not high, they can still develop arguments based on sports law at CAS and within the domestic legal framework, especially in Malaysia”, he commented.

Beyond appealing, the seven naturalized players are also considering suing FAM to claim compensation for the career losses caused by this incident. Due to this illegal naturalization case, the value of all seven players has dropped to zero.

In September 2025, FIFA announced a fine of 350,000 Swiss francs (about 11.6 billion VND) against FAM, while each of the seven illegally naturalized players was fined 2,000 Swiss francs (about 66 million VND) and banned from all football activities for 12 months. Rejecting the penalties, on October 15, FAM filed an appeal. However, on November 3, FIFA’s Appeals Committee rejected FAM’s appeal, upholding the original sanctions.

By December 2025, FIFA imposed a second penalty on Malaysian football, awarding 0-3 losses in three matches against Cape Verde, Singapore, and Palestine. Currently, FAM has filed a lawsuit against FIFA at CAS and is awaiting the final ruling.