Speaking to Malaysian media, AFC secretary general Windsor Paul John clarified that the eligibility regulations violated in this case only apply to national teams. Consequently, clubs employing the suspended players remain fully eligible to participate in all Asian club competitions.
“Because there is no violation of any regulations… eligibility is only for national teams, and for clubs in the AFC, there is no nationality criterion to play,” he said, as quoted by New Straits Times.
(From L) Jon Irazabal, Joao Figueiredo and Hector Hevel, three naturalized players at Malaysian club Johor Darul Ta’zim. Photo by JDT |
This critical clarification ensures that Malaysian clubs will continue to compete without interruption in both regional and continental tournaments. Specifically, JDT players Joao Figueiredo, Hector Hevel and Jon Irazabal, who were among the seven individuals suspended, can continue to represent their club.
The AFC noted that FIFA’s disciplinary ban applies exclusively to official national team matches. Therefore, their participation in major club events like the AFC Champions League Elite or the ASEAN Club Championship remains unaffected.
The controversy started when seven foreign-born players were found to have used invalid documents to claim Malaysian ancestry and register to play for Malaysia.
FIFA imposed punishments against the players and the Fooball Association of Malaysia last September. FAM filed an appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), which earlier this month upheld the 12-month suspension for all seven athletes, though the ban was narrowed to only official matches rather than all football-related activities.
Alongside the three JDT players, the ban list includes Gabriel Palmero, Imanol Machuca, Facundo Garces and Rodrigo Holgado. All seven players had previously been called up to the Malaysia national team and participated in the 4-0 victory against Vietnam in the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers on June 10, 2025.
Despite the CAS ruling, Windsor suggested that FIFA may launch a subsequent investigation now that the initial appeal process has concluded. He indicated that the next phase of the inquiry will likely focus on the individuals responsible for preparing and verifying the fraudulent documents.
He explained that FIFA holds the jurisdiction to investigate intermediaries, such as agents or federation officials, who facilitated the naturalization process. Windsor cautioned the public against assuming the case is entirely closed, noting that such complex investigations typically unfold in multiple stages.
Malaysian newspaper Daily Rays reported that FIFA is actively reviewing the role of middlemen and player agents. These names were mentioned in FIFA’s detailed 64-page investigative report released on Oct. 6, 2025.
The report called for a formal probe into the parties who managed the communication and document preparation between the players and FAM. Under FIFA regulations, all player representatives must be officially registered and subject to the governing body’s management.
Should further violations be uncovered, FIFA possesses the authority to impose additional disciplinary actions against the individuals related to the case.
The AFC confirmed it has received the complete case file from FIFA and is currently conducting its own review alongside FAM, though any disciplinary actions will be strictly tied to the national team level.
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