Thousands of comments flooded social media platforms, particularly under official posts by the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM), largely expressing disappointment, anger, and a feeling of betrayal.

"A national disgrace," Khairiel Idzham succinctly posted on Facebook, garnering hundreds of agreements. This sentiment echoed in many other comments, with fans believing the scandal severely damaged the integrity of Malaysian football.

Seven fraudulently naturalized players for Malaysia included Joao Figueiredo (originally from Brazil), Rodrigo Holgado, Imanol Machuca, Facundo Garces (Argentina), Jon Irazabal, Gabriel Palmero (Spain), and Hector Hevel (Netherlands). *Photo: Star*

Fareez Razali commented at length: "It all stems from those at the top who always think they are right. They are a burden, ignorant, and bring shame to the country." Another fan, Hafizul Shukor, directly criticized: "Find legitimate players! Instead, they falsified birth certificates. Truly foolish."

Many opinions suggested the incident was the consequence of a misguided revolution. Farez Izat wrote: "A foolish revolution, only destroying our national football." Meanwhile, Imat AR responded: "You have destroyed Malaysian football." A notable comment came from Mohd Helmi: "Enough, stop shaming the country." Similarly, Pak Teh Latif simply wrote: "Shameful."

The anger of Malaysians was primarily aimed at FAM's management. Conrad C. Marcus commented: "When lying becomes normal." Khairul Ridzuan Jaapar called this "a dark chapter in Malaysia's history."

Many fans expressed regret for the domestic players who had strived to play. Afiq Bruno wrote: "The efforts of players from other clubs to play for the national team are now meaningless." Taufid Adnan also sympathized: "Pity the other players. Is this the outcome they deserve?"

Some fans turned to sarcasm. Nazrul Farhan lamented: "I worked hard to buy tickets to watch, only for it to end up like this." Mohd Farhan Zakaria even demanded a refund, having bought tickets to watch Malaysia's 4-0 victory over Vietnam in an Asian Cup 2027 qualifier on 10/6/2025. The AFC ruled Malaysia lost that match 0-3 on 17/3, because the host team used seven naturalized players with falsified match documents.

On the X (Twitter) platform, reactions were equally strong. User @_fabulistjiwa wrote: "Truly foolish. They destroyed the people's sport. Our football is ruined." @Manivannan_Letchumanan directly criticized: "FAM is the destroyer of Malaysian football, ruining the future of the younger generation."

Some opinions questioned the transparency of the incident. User @Gyokerennn wrote: "So there really was fraud, right?" Meanwhile, @NGnola36268 sent a message to the authorities: "Where are they... why are they silent?" Alongside the criticism, there were also comments expressing helplessness. "Our story is over," wrote user @Eyman_Xgen.

According to the AFC's ruling on 17/3, Malaysia was declared to have lost 0-3 in two Asian Cup 2027 qualifiers against Nepal and Vietnam, for violating regulations by using ineligible players. This decision caused Malaysia to lose their top spot in Group F, simultaneously handing Vietnam a spot in the next round.

The scandal originated from FAM registering seven naturalized players whose documents were identified as fraudulent or invalid. Previously, the Federation Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) had issued severe penalties, including a 12-month ban for the involved players and a fine for the federation. Although FAM appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), most of the decisions were upheld.

Following the latest penalty from the AFC, FAM stated they would request detailed explanations before considering next steps. They might appeal, hoping to reduce the fine, as they had achieved in their previous appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). However, Malaysian fans are no longer interested in another appeal. As Muiz Genji commented: "This is a matter of national honor, not about fines."

By Hoang An