Nigeria TV Info — FIFA Accuses Malaysia of Forging Citizenship Documents for Seven Foreign-Born Players

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia — The world football governing body, FIFA, has accused the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) of falsifying citizenship documents to make seven foreign-born players eligible for the national team, describing the act as a “deliberate deception.”

In a detailed report released on Monday, FIFA said its investigation uncovered that FAM forged birth certificates to falsely indicate that the players’ grandparents were born in Malaysia. The governing body stated that the act “constitutes, pure and simple, a form of cheating.”

The controversy stems from FIFA’s “grandfather rule,” which allows players born outside a country to represent it if either their parents or grandparents were born there. The policy was designed to prevent countries from exploiting naturalisation to boost football performance.

FIFA’s probe began after Malaysia’s 4–0 victory over Vietnam in June, when suspicions arose about the eligibility of several players. Following its findings, the disciplinary committee in September imposed one-year suspensions on the seven players involved and fined each 2,000 Swiss francs (approximately $2,500 or £1,870).

Additionally, the Football Association of Malaysia was slapped with a hefty fine of 350,000 Swiss francs (about $440,000 or £330,000).

However, FAM has strongly denied the allegations, insisting the inconsistencies were due to an “administrative error” rather than intentional wrongdoing. The association vowed to appeal FIFA’s decision, maintaining that the players are legitimate Malaysian citizens.

The development has sent shockwaves through Asian football, with analysts warning that the scandal could tarnish Malaysia’s international football reputation and lead to further scrutiny of player eligibility across the region.