Malaysian footballers banned after using forged documents to play against Vietnam
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Malaysia's Facundo Garces (left), pictured with Singapore's Irfan Fandi and teammate La'Vere Lawrence Corbin-Ong (right) during the international friendly between Malaysia and Singapore at Bukit Jalil Stadium on Sept 4.
PHOTO: AFP
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ZURICH – Fifa’s disciplinary committee has imposed sanctions on the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) and seven players, after the world governing body found that doctored documentation had been used so that they could play in an Asian Cup qualifier for Malaysia against Vietnam.
The seven footballers – Deportivo Alaves’ Facundo Garces, Gabriel Arrocha (Unionistas de Salamanca), Rodrigo Holgado (America de Cali), Imanol Machuca (Velez Sarsfield), Joao Figueiredo, Jon Irazabal and Hector Hevel (all Johor Darul Takzim) – were handed a 12-month suspension from all football-related activities.
Fifa said in a statement on Sept 26 that the FAM had submitted eligibility enquiries and used doctored documentation to be able to field the seven players, breaching Article 22 of the organisation’s disciplinary code that is concerned with forgery and falsification.
All seven had played in Malaysia’s 4-0 win over Vietnam in the third round of the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers on June 10, after which Fifa received a complaint regarding the eligibility of several players.
Figueiredo and Holgado had both scored in Malaysia’s victory. Garces has played in every game this season for Alaves, who are 10th in La Liga.
Malaysia are currently top of Group F with six points from two wins, with Vietnam and Laos second and third respectively (one win, one loss each), and Nepal in fourth with two losses.
The Harimau Malaya are scheduled to play Laos in the third round of the Asian Cup qualifiers on Oct 9 in Vientiane, before hosting the same opponents in Kuala Lumpur on Oct 14.
Fifa also ordered the FAM to pay a fine of 350,000 Swiss francs (S$566,000) while the players have been fined 2,000 Swiss francs each.
“Further, the matter of the players’ eligibility to play for the representative team of Malaysia has been referred by the Fifa disciplinary committee to the Fifa football tribunal for consideration,” Fifa added.
The decision can be appealed before the Fifa appeals committee. REUTERS
