Malaysia vows to keep fighting after FIFA rejects appeal

Rodrigo Holgado (number 19), Joao Figueireido (14) and Hector Hevel (13) play in Malaysia's 4-0 win over Vietnam in the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers, at Bukit Jalil Stadium, Malaysia on June 10, 2025. Photo by VnExpress/Hai Tu

FAM acting president Datuk Yusoff Mahadi confirmed the association will use the last resort, which is taking the case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), on Monday night, just 10 minutes after FIFA rejected its appeal and upheld the suspension against seven naturalized players for using falsified documents to represent Malaysia at the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers. These players are banned from all football activities for 12 months, starting Sept. 26.

"FAM has received the decision from FIFA in which our appeal has been dismissed," Mahadi said in a statement, as quoted by New Straits Times. "FAM will write to FIFA to obtain the full details and written reasoning behind the decision before taking the next step to submit an appeal to the CAS."

The association has 10 days to request a detailed report of the appeal rejection from FIFA and will have 21 days to submit a final appeal to CAS.

"This is the first time FAM has faced a situation like this, and our lawyers and management are very surprised by the decision," Mahadi added. "Nevertheless, FAM will continue to stand firm in defending the rights of the players and the interests of Malaysian football at the international level."

The ruling puts Malaysia's 2027 Asian Cup qualifying campaign at risk. The team currently lead their group with 12 points after four matches and will still be allowed to play the upcoming games. However, FAM faces a punishment of 0-3 forfeit losses for matches where the ineligible players were used, including games against Nepal and Vietnam, or even disqualification.

The Asian Football Confederation (AFC), the Asian Cup organizer, will make the final decision after all legal steps are completed and the final verdict is made.

AFC secretary general Windsor John Paul stated the process must conclude by March 31, 2026, the end of the qualifying round, to finalize the list of qualified teams for the tournament.

While a typical CAS case can take months, an expedited procedure, if agreed upon by both FAM and FIFA, could be completed in 30 to 45 days.

CAS will only take a case with the agreement of both the plaintiff and the defendant. FIFA, as the defendant, usually does not reject this type of request and has 20 days to file a response. CAS then takes between one and three weeks to appoint an arbitrator or a panel of one to three people. The hearing will be held one to three months after the submission of the complete file, with the final decision made one to three months after the hearing.

There are many factors that affect CAS’s processing time, which can include the complexity of the case, the amount of evidence and witnesses, the number of hearings, the number of arbitrators (one person is usually faster than three), whether the hearing is in person or online, and whether there is an interpreter. If both parties agree to an expedited procedure due to urgency, the case can be completed within 30 to 45 days.