Observer Says Malaysia Sentenced To FIFA, AFC Denies

JAKARTA - The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) denies claims from Indonesian football observer Justinus Lhaksana. This is related to a statement that Malaysia is being punished by FIFA for alleged manipulation of the rules of the player naturalization process.

This news has emerged from the podcast Bukan Bincang Football Ordinary with Helmy Yahya. In the video, Justin said the senior Malaysian National Team (Timnas) was being punished from FIFA until 2027 because the Malaysian Football Federation (FAM) used naturalized players with fake pedigrees.

The allegations came after five South American-born players, namely Rodrigo Holgado, Imanol Machuca, Jon Irazabal, Joao Figueiredo, and Facundo Garces strengthened the Malaysian national team when they beat Vietnam 4-0 in the 2027 Asian Cup Qualifiers, 10 June 2025.

Justin also claimed that the Malaysian U-23 national team's participation in the 2025 AFF U-23 Cup was taking place in Indonesia because the tournament was not recognized by FIFA. Therefore, they can play.

This news was then responded to by the Secretary General of the AFC, Datuk Seri Windsor John. Windsor confirmed that there is currently no FIFA sentence for Malaysia.

"We have not received any notification of the suspension. Furthermore, FAM will be the first to be notified, not the other side."

"The AFC has no information because the matter is under FIFA jurisdiction," Windsor was quoted as saying by the Metro Daily on Tuesday, July 22, 2025.

The FAM has yet to respond to claims that the Malaysian national team is being punished by FIFA. However, the rumors emerged amid the FAM's decision to withdraw the Malayan Tigers from the 2025 CAFA Cup (Central Asian Federation).

Initially, the Malaysian national team was scheduled to become an invitation team for the 2025 CAFA Cup in Tajikistan on 29 August-8 September 2025. However, FAM suddenly canceled its participation.

In fact, by participating in the 2025 CAFA Cup, the Malaysian national team can face tough opponents such as Iran and Uzbekistan.