Malaysian Lawyer: 'FAM will win the case against FIFA if...'

Lawyer Zhafri Aminurrashid considers the birth certificates of the 7 naturalized Malaysian players to be the key element determining the outcome of the appeal at CAS.

According to the schedule on February 26, CAS will hold a hearing involving the Football Association of Malaysia regarding the case of the 7 illegally naturalized players before issuing the final verdict.

In recent days, the case has continuously attracted attention and interest. Most recently, Malaysian lawyer Zhafri Aminurrashid stated that FAM still has a chance to win if the birth certificates of the 7 players are accepted.

Specifically, Mr. Zhafri Aminurrashid pointed out that the problem arises because the seven players simultaneously hold birth certificates issued by two sovereign nations, resulting in a complex legal dispute. In his view, FIFA lacks the authority to determine which birth certificate holds greater legal validity.

“If CAS rules to accept the birth certificates issued by Malaysia, FIFA will be obliged to allow all seven players to return to competition.” The argument presented is that when two birth certificates issued by two independent countries exist simultaneously, FIFA cannot unilaterally decide which one takes precedence. He reiterated this point: “There are two birth certificates issued by two sovereign countries. FIFA does not have the authority to confirm which birth certificate holds higher legal value over the other.”

Furthermore, Mr. Zhafri suggested that if FAM wins the case, FIFA will have to amend its current regulations on this matter. “Amending the (regulations) will be mandatory if (the Football Association of Malaysia) wins at CAS. The possibility of a domino effect is very high.”

Although the final decision will only be made at the end of February, FIFA asserts it already has sufficient grounds to prove that the documents provided by FAM are forged, so the likelihood of an unfavorable outcome for FAM remains high.