In what looks like a precursor to what could happen in the Nigeria versus DR Congo tussle, world football governing body, FIFA, yesterday punished Malaysia for using ineligible players in three of their recent matches. The world body awarded the games’ three points and three goals to Malaysia’s opponents in those games as punishment for the infringement.
 
The ruling by world football’s governing body hands Malaysia retroactive defeats and fines as investigations widen into alleged falsified documents used to clear naturalised players.
  
In a statement yesterday, the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) confirmed that FIFA overturned the results of three of their matches after finding they had fielded ineligible players.
  
FAM said that the development is the latest setback for the team amid a widening document forgery scandal.
 
It said that FIFA suspended seven naturalised players for 12 months and fined FAM 350,000 Swiss francs ($439,257) in September after finding false documentation had been used to allow them to play in an Asian Cup qualifier against Vietnam in June.
 
World football’s governing body dismissed an appeal by FAM last month, saying it would launch a formal probe into the association’s internal operations and notify authorities in five countries of potential criminal proceedings.
 
FAM said in response that it would bring the case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).
 
FIFA’s disciplinary committee also changed the results of three friendlies the players had appeared in, handing down 3-0 defeats for games against Cape Verde on May 29, Singapore on September 4 and Palestine on September 8, FAM said.
 
The association has also been fined 10,000 Swiss francs ($12,536).
 
The scandal has sparked uproar in Malaysia, with fans and some lawmakers calling for action against FAM, as well as government agencies responsible for granting the players’ citizenship.
 
Last month, the association suspended its secretary-general and formed an independent committee to investigate what it called a “technical error.”
 
Nigeria believes FIFA would toe the same line and strip DR Congo of the ticket to represent Africa in the 2026 World Cup inter-confederation playoff following their alleged use of up to six ‘ineligible’ players in the final game against the Super Eagles.
 
That scenario would give Nigeria a third opportunity to try to qualify for the 2026 World Cup after failing to grab the ticket through the qualifying series and the Africa playoff.