The group of fans marched and gathered in front of the FAM headquarters starting at 10h Kuala Lumpur time, which is 9h Hanoi time. They displayed banners directed at the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) and the Malaysia Football League (MFL).

Mohamad Hairy Ibrahim, chairman of the Selangor FC Supporters Club, stated that this protest is just the beginning. He did not rule out the possibility of larger demonstrations if FAM and MFL fail to fully resolve the fraud case.

Malaysian fans held a peaceful protest outside the Football Association of Malaysia headquarters in Kuala Lumpur, on the morning of 17/3. Photo: X/@Fina_Nasrom

On 26/9/2025, FIFA determined that Malaysia had used falsified or invalid civil registration documents in the registration files for seven players, a serious violation of international football principles. The group included Joao Figueiredo (Brazilian origin), Rodrigo Holgado, Imanol Machuca, Facundo Garces (Argentinian), Jon Irazabal, Gabriel Palmero (Spanish), and Hector Hevel (Dutch).

As a result, FAM was fined 350,000 Swiss francs, equivalent to more than 11 billion dong. Each player involved received a 12-month ban from all football activities, effective from the decision date, along with an additional fine of 2,000 francs (65 million dong).

Subsequently, FAM and the seven players unsuccessfully appealed to both the FIFA Appeals Committee and the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). The players remain banned, and FAM and the Malaysian national team face further penalties.

Four players from this group are currently playing for clubs in the Malaysia Football League: Figueireido, Irazabal, and Hevel for Johor Darul Tazim, and Palmero for Kuching City. However, the MFL continues to recognize these players as local based on their registration with national identity cards issued by the National Registration Department. This has significantly increased dissatisfaction among Malaysian fans.

Selangor FC Supporters Club Chairman Ibrahim argued that MFL’s confirmation of the punishment implies agreement with FIFA that these players are not legal Malaysian citizens. Yet, recognizing them as local players disregards established rules and disrespects the decisions from CAS and FIFA.

"As fans, we try to apply as much pressure as possible", Ibrahim said. "We hope this is the start, and fans of other clubs will continue to pursue this until the issue is resolved."

The CAS decision on 5/3 is expected to lead to new penalties for Malaysian football from FIFA and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC). Previously, in December 2025, in addition to sanctions for the players and FAM, FIFA ruled that Malaysia forfeited 0-3 friendly matches against Cape Verde, Singapore, and Palestine due to the use of the aforementioned naturalized players. Malaysia also faces potential 0-3 forfeitures from the AFC for their 2-0 win against Nepal and 4-0 win against Vietnam in 2025 during the final qualifiers for the Asian Cup 2027.

Furthermore, FIFA and AFC are conducting a comprehensive inspection of FAM. The objective is to reorganize the leadership, management system, and address any individuals found to be in violation.

Trung Thu (the Berita Harian)