CAS decision on naturalised players case expected next week

2026-02-27 - 02:54

FAM and seven naturalised Malaysian footballers were penalised by Fifa last September after the world football body said FAM had submitted falsified documents to confirm the players’ eligibility. PETALING JAYA: The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) is expected to deliver a decision next week on the Football Association of Malaysia’s (FAM) appeal against sanctions imposed by Fifa over forgery in the naturalisation of seven footballers. A CAS spokesman said the court would need some time to discuss before coming to a decision, after wrapping up the appeal hearing yesterday, Buletin TV3 reported. “I cannot give an exact date for when the decision will be made, but it is expected to be out next week (without the grounds of judgment). “Since this is a high-profile case, a press statement will be issued. After the decision is announced, a full explanation will be prepared and issued to the parties involved. “If they do not ask for the explanation to be kept confidential, the decision will be released on the CAS website,” she said. FAM and seven naturalised Malaysian footballers were penalised by Fifa last September after the world football body said FAM had submitted falsified documents to confirm the players’ eligibility before Malaysia’s 2027 Asian Cup qualifier against Vietnam in June. The association was fined 350,000 Swiss francs (about RM1.8 million) while each player was fined 2,000 Swiss francs (about RM10,560) and suspended for 12 months from all football-related activities, effective from the date of notification. Fifa announced on Nov 3 that it had rejected FAM’s appeal against its sanctions, prompting the association to appeal to CAS. CAS granted the application for a stay of execution submitted by the players, allowing them to continue their careers and take part in football-related activities until the court reached a final decision on the appeal. A Malaysian independent committee had investigated the case and said that it could not conclusively determine who falsified the documents. The police have also opened their own investigation into the alleged document forgery. The controversy led to the resignation of the entire FAM executive committee, in an attempt to avert a Fifa suspension.