Malaysia officially files appeal against FIFA's sanctions

Brazilian-born striker Paulo Josue celebrates his goal in Malaysia's 5-1 win over Laos in the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers, at Bukit Jalail Stadium, Malaysia on Oct. 14, 2025. Photo by FAM

Mahadi said the appeal was submitted by the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM)'s legal team to FIFA before the deadline on Wednesday.

"When we file an appeal, it means we are hopeful of receiving a positive outcome. The lawyers appointed are from abroad," he said, as quoted by New Straits Times. "The national team management are a professional outfit and naturally, they have connections with many international lawyers who understand football regulations at the global level."

FAM had previously announced that it would hire the best sports lawyers in the world to support its appeal.

Before the penalty on Sept. 26 for falsifying the foreign players' documents, the FIFA Disciplinary Committee (FDC) gave FAM one month, from Aug. 22 to Sept. 22, to explain, but it failed. Therefore, Mahadi saw the appeal as "the second chance" in this case.

"So I believe our legal team has prepared this carefully and meticulously," Mahadi added. "There is no question of it being done hastily or under pressure, we want to make sure the decision goes in our favor."

FIFA's sanctions are pushing Malaysian football into a crisis. In addition to monetary fines, seven naturalized players were banned from all football activities for one year, starting Sept. 26. According to FDC, there were serious errors between the players' birth certificates submitted by FAM and the originals obtained by FIFA, showing that the real birthplaces of these players' grandparents were outside Malaysia, a condition required for their naturalization.

Malaysia are still allowed to play the next matches in the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers, where they are currently topping the group with 12 points after four matches. However, according to the regulations, they could be punished with a 0-3 defeats for fielding ineligible players against Nepal and Vietnam in matches in March and June. The final decision will be made by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), the organizer of the Asian Cup, after the results of Malaysia's appeal.

FAC does not have a fixed time limit for handling an appeal, but it usually takes between 30 and 60 days. Malaysia's case is considered complicated because it involves player status, falsified documents and possible sanctions against the national team and FAM, so it could take from two to three months. The timeframe could be extended to six months if the FAC deems it necessary to gather further evidence or hold a hearing.

If found guilty, FAM has 10 days to submit a detailed appeal report to FAC from the date of the decision. They then have 21 days to submit an appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). The average time for CAS to process a case has been around 5.7 months, during the 2019-2024 period.

However, with the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers ending on March 31, 2026, CAS and AFC are likely to make a ruling soon.

Coach Peter Cklamovski hugs Faisal Halim, after the striker equalized 1-1 for Malaysia in their 5-1 win over Laos on Oct. 14, 2025. Photo by FAM

In addition to the appeal, FAM is also considering a disciplinary penalty for national team head coach Peter Cklamovski. This coach once publicly said that all the recent chaos was FAM's fault, showing support for Tunku Ismail Idris, Regent and Crown Prince of Johor, and president of Malaysia's biggest club Johor Darul Ta'zim (JDT), who has been accused of influencing the naturalization of seven foreign-born players.

The Australian coach's statement was not incorrect technically, but it took place in a sensitive situation. Although Cklamovski apologized and affirmed that he did not mean to be disrespectful, some Malaysian football experts still suggested that FAM sack him.

FAM is not reacting immediately but waiting for the national team to finish the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers. Acting FAM president Yusoff Hamadi said he accepted the head coach's apology, saying it could have been a slip of the tongue or an accident, but stressed that FAM is "bound by statutes that must be respected", according to Bernama.

FAM regulations prohibit officials from making public statements that criticize FAM management or tarnish the image of FAM. Violators may be warned, fined or suspended.