Nepal requests FIFA to overturn defeat against Malaysia over use of ineligible player

Nepal (blue jersey) play Malaysia in the 2027 Asian Cup qualifer in March 2025. Photo by FAM

Nepal fell 0–2 to Malaysia after goals from Hector Hevel and Lavere Corbin-Ong on March 25 at Sultan Ibrahim Stadium.

However, FIFA sanctioned the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) on Sept. 26 for falsifying documents for seven naturalized players at the qualifiers, including Hevel.

FIFA's disciplinary ruling only applied to Malaysia's 4–0 win over Vietnam in June, prompting the All Nepal Football Association (ANFA) to challenge the result of their match.

"The All Nepal Football Association has filed a complaint against Malaysia, after Hector Hevel, one of the goalscorers in Malaysia's 2-0 win over Nepal in March, was ruled ineligible by FIFA, meaning the result could be overturned," The Guardian wrote.

After three matches, Nepal remain bottom of Group F with no points, following further losses to Laos (1–2) and Vietnam (1–3). The team will meet Vietnam again on Tuesday at Thong Nhat Stadium, Ho Chi Minh City, after political instability in Nepal forced the venue change.

Malaysia remain the leader of Group F with nine points and will host Laos in Kuala Lumpur after winning 3–0 away on Oct. 9.

FIFA's sanctions have put Malaysian football into crisis. Besides fines, the seven naturalized players are banned from football activities for one year starting Sept. 26. The FIFA Disciplinary Committee found serious flaws between birth certificates submitted by FAM and originals obtained by FIFA, revealing the players' grandparents were born outside Malaysia.

Under competition rules, Malaysia could face 0–3 forfeits against both Vietnam and Nepal, pending the Asian Football Confederation (AFC)'s decision. Oct. 14 marks FAM’s deadline to submit an appeal. FAM maintains the issue was an administrative error and insists the players are "legitimate citizens", claiming FIFA’s ruling lacks sufficient evidence.

The FIFA Appeals Committee typically takes 30–60 days to process cases, though complex ones such as Malaysia's can stretch to three months or more. If the appeal is rejected, FAM will have 10 days to request a full decision report and 21 days to take the case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), which will take average 5–6 months of review.

With the qualifiers ending March 31, 2026, both AFC and CAS are under pressure to reach a verdict quickly to maintain the competition schedule.