KUALA LUMPUR – FIFA has dismissed allegations that Malaysia is facing suspension until 2027, rejecting claims made by Indonesian football pundit Justinus Lhaksana as “entirely baseless and damaging”.
A representative close to the world football governing body told Scoop that no investigation is currently underway into the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM), and that Malaysia remains in good standing to compete in all FIFA-sanctioned tournaments.
“These allegations are unfounded, baseless and damaging. Malaysia is not under any form of suspension, and no disciplinary proceedings have been initiated. All the heritage players used were properly processed.
“There is no point in fuelling speculation without verifying the facts. The matter is clear: FIFA will not take action against Malaysia. The news is false, baseless and damaging, and we condemn such irresponsible statements,” the representative said.
The claims were made by Justinus – better known as Coach Justin – during a recent podcast, where he alleged that Malaysia had breached international eligibility rules by fielding five naturalised players with “fabricated lineage” in their 10 June clash against Vietnam.
When contacted, FAM secretary-general Datuk Noor Azman Rahman echoed FIFA’s position, describing the accusations as “reckless” and warning that both FAM and FIFA are considering legal action for defamation.
“These reckless statements tarnish the reputation of Malaysian football and undermine the credibility of our players and the association.
“They also risk straining relations between member associations. We are consulting FIFA’s legal department and will pursue all necessary action,” he said.
As Scoop previously reported, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has confirmed it has not received any formal complaints regarding FAM’s recruitment of heritage players.
This comes amid continuing allegations from the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF) and several Indonesian media outlets, which accuse FAM of circumventing international eligibility protocols.
At the centre of the dispute are five newly inducted heritage players — Facundo Garcés, Imanol Machuca, João Figueiredo, Rodrigo Holgado and Jon Irazabal — all of whom made their debuts in last month’s Asian Cup qualifier.
Critics in Vietnam and Indonesia have questioned the legitimacy of their Malaysian ancestry. Machuca, Holgado and Garcés are from Argentina, Figueiredo is Brazilian, and Irazabal is Spanish.
So far, only Garcés has publicly claimed Malaysian heritage, stating that it comes through his grandmother.
Under head coach Peter Cklamovski, Malaysia currently top Group F with six points, ahead of Vietnam and Laos (three points each) and Nepal (zero).
They began their qualifying campaign with a 2-0 win over Nepal in March, followed by a dominant performance against Vietnam. – July 22, 2025