FIFA Annuls Three Malaysia Friendlies Over Ineligible Players

FIFA's disciplinary committee has annulled the results of three international friendly matches played by Malaysia's national football team, declaring each a 0-3 defeat after determining that ineligible players participated, the Football Association of Malaysia announced on Wednesday.

The affected fixtures include Malaysia's 1-1 draw against Cape Verde on May 29 at Cheras Stadium in Kuala Lumpur, a 2-1 victory over Singapore on September 4 at Bukit Jalil National Stadium, and a 1-0 win against Palestine on September 8 at Sultan Ibrahim Stadium in Iskandar Puteri. The committee cited breaches of Article 19 of FIFA's disciplinary code, which prohibits fielding ineligible players. In addition to the forfeited results, FAM faces a fine of 10,000 Swiss francs, equivalent to about 51,000 Malaysian ringgit.

This ruling stems from a broader document forgery scandal that has engulfed Malaysian football. In September, FIFA suspended seven naturalized players, known as heritage players, for 12 months and imposed a 350,000 Swiss franc fine on FAM. The sanctions followed the discovery of falsified documentation used to enable the players to compete in a June Asian Cup qualifier against...