Malaysia’s football federation has appealed FIFA’s decision to suspend seven national team players in an eligibility scandal, a news report said Wednesday.

The world governing body last month banned the foreign-born players for a year and fined the FA of Malaysia (FAM) $440,000.

FIFA accused the FAM of submitting doctored or false documents that said the seven players had Malaysian ancestry, making them eligible to represent the country. FAM denied knowingly wrongdoing.

FIFA said an investigation showed that none of the players — who helped Malaysia to a 4-0 drubbing of Vietnam in June in an Asian Cup qualifier — actually had a parent or grandparent born in the Southeast Asian nation.

“This appeal process is like a second round for us, so we are making better, more thorough and detailed preparations. It was not done hastily or under pressure,” FAM acting president Yusoff Mahadi said, according to Bernama news agency.

Yusoff’s comments were made on Tuesday during Malaysia’s 5-1 victory over Laos in an Asian Cup qualifier.
FAM maintains it acted in good faith over the scandal, saying there was a “technical error”.