AFC requests the Malaysian Football Association to provide an explanation.

The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) confirms that it has sent a letter requesting clarification to the Malaysian Football Association (FAM) and demands a response before the Disciplinary Committee imposes penalties on the Malaysian team in the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers.

AFC Secretary-General, Datuk Seri Windsor Paul John, stated that all disciplinary actions against the national team must follow standard procedures and practices, with the official investigation initiated last week.

“The Disciplinary Committee began the process last week. Typically, they start by issuing a ‘charge,’ which outlines a potential violation and requires the involved parties to provide an explanation.

They will then allocate a specific period, possibly a week or ten days, for the relevant parties to submit their responses,” he said during a press conference regarding the latest status of AFC’s audit of FAM at the FAM headquarters.

Previously, AFC opened an investigation into FAM concerning the falsification of documents for seven national team players, who were suspended by FIFA in September last year for the same allegations.

The seven involved players are: Facundo Garces, Rodrigo Holgado, Imanol Machuca, Joao Figueiredo, Gabriel Palmero, Jon Irazabal, and Hector Hevel.

The case was subsequently brought to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), but the 12-month suspension for these seven players remains unchanged.

Currently, the case continues to be investigated by AFC. If found guilty, the Malaysian team could face point deductions in the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers, severely impacting their chances of qualifying for the finals in Saudi Arabia.

According to Windsor, the Disciplinary Committee will consider multiple factors, including FAM’s response and any mitigating circumstances they may present.

Additionally, data and conclusions from international football organizations such as FIFA and CAS will also be referenced.

“In fact, the case file has been with the disciplinary secretariat for a long time. Therefore, they will review all information before meeting and making a decision.

We hope this process will not be prolonged, as this is not a new case and has been widely known.”