FIFA sanctions Malaysia over ineligible players

FIFA’s Disciplinary Committee has penalised Malaysia with three 3-0 defeats, ruling that forfeit three international friendlies after fielding ineligible players, converting a 1-1 draw with Cape Verde in May, a 2-1 victory over Singapore in September, and a 1-0 win against Palestine later that month into 3-0 defeats. The decision, announced following a committee meeting on December 12, cites a breach of Article 19 of FIFA’s Disciplinary Code. The ruling follows FIFAs earlier sanctions in September, when seven naturalised players were suspended for 12 months, and FAM was fined 350,000 Swiss francs after the world governing body found that falsified documents had been used to establish the players eligibility. The FAM, previously fined $440,000, has now been hit with a further $12,500 punishment. FIFA rejected FAMs initial appeal against those sanctions in November, prompting the association to take the case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). FAM will make a written application to obtain the reasons for the decision from the FIFA disciplinary committee before considering the next steps to be taken in this matter, the association said in a statement. The controversy has sparked backlash in Malaysia, with fans and lawmakers calling for accountability within FAM and government agencies involved in granting citizenship to the players. Last month, FAM suspended its secretary-general and set up an independent committee to investigate what it described as a technical error.The post FIFA sanctions Malaysia over ineligible players appeared first on Linda Ikeji Blog.