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The Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) has announced it will contest FIFA's decision to sanction the body for supposedly falsifying the nationality papers of seven overseas-born players, who have now been banned from representing the national team for one year.

FIFA's Allegations and Penalties

In the ninth month, FIFA levied a penalty of over four hundred thousand dollars on FAM and suspended the players after discovering that their ancestors were not Malaysian by birth as stated, but instead in the South American nation, Brazil, the Netherlands and the Iberian nation. The international football authority reiterated its assertions about doctored documentation in a official investigation report published on Monday.

Each of the individuals – who all participated in Malaysia's four-nil victory over Vietnam in the 2027 Asian Cup qualifier this summer – was also penalized twenty-five hundred dollars.

The accused individuals includes Spanish-born Arrocha, Facundo Tomas Garces and Iraurgui, born in Argentina Rodrigo Julian Holgado and Machuca, as well as Serrano who was originated in the Netherlands, and Joao Vitor Brandao Figueiredo who was born Brazil.

The Governing Body's Position on Forgery

"Forgery constitutes, pure and simple, a type of dishonesty," stated FIFA in its findings.

"Forging documents undermines the very core of the fundamental principles of football, not only those regulating a athlete's qualification to play for a country's squad, but also the essential values of a fair game and the concept of sportsmanship," added Jorge Palacio, vice-chair of FIFA's disciplinary committee.

FAM's Response and Appeal Plan

FIFA's document claims that the Malaysian association conceded it "received inquiries by third parties regarding the athletes' ancestry and did not attempt to independently verify the validity of the documentation."

"Initial documentation indicated a sharp contrast to the documentation provided," it noted.

The organization also mentioned it was "able to obtain the relevant original documents easily," which highlighted a "lack of proper diligence" by FAM.

The Football Association of Malaysia reacted to the global body's allegations in a official communication on the following day, asserting the discrepancies were the result of an "procedural mistake" and the individuals are "rightful citizens of Malaysia."

"Claims that the athletes 'obtained or were knowledgeable of fraudulent papers' are unfounded as no solid evidence has been provided so far," the announcement declared.

The association will submit an official appeal of the international body's decision, using authentic papers that have been certified by the national authorities.

Southeast Asian Background and Political Responses

South-east Asian countries have lately engaged in hiring campaigns for foreign-born athletes, modelled after Indonesia's strategy of bringing in Dutch-born players from the Indonesian diaspora.

Malaysia's minister for sports, the official, stated in a statement that "FAM must finish the challenge procedure and that they cannot remain silent but have to answer plainly to all revelations from the global authority."

"Fans are angry, hurt and let down," she added.

Current Situation and Upcoming Games

Regardless of doubt surrounding the squad's lineup, Malaysia is now ranked one hundred twenty-third in FIFA's AFC ranking and is set to play in Asian Cup qualifiers in the coming weeks, facing the Laotian team on Thursday.