FIFA ban until 2027? Indonesian pundit drops bombshell on Malaysia

New Straits Times

5 days ago

KUALA LUMPUR: Could Malaysia be slapped with a FIFA suspension until 2027?
That's the explosive claim made by Indonesian football pundit Justinus Lhaksana, better known as Coach Justin, who has accused the FA of Malaysia (FAM) of bypassing international eligibility rules through the questionable naturalisation of South American players.
In a recent episode of his podcast "Bukan Bincang Sepak Bola Biasa", Justin alleged that Malaysia are already suspended by FIFA for fielding players with "fabricated lineage" — though no such confirmation has come from world football's governing body or the Asian Football Confederation (AFC).
"Malaysia are still allowed to play in the Under-23 Asean Championship because it's not recognised by FIFA. But they're suspended until 2027," he claimed on the HY Sport YouTube channel.
According to Justin, five players who previously played in Brazil were brought into the national team under the guise of having Malaysian ancestry.
"The federation (FAM) claimed they had Malaysian ancestors. If that's true, it should be easy to prove with documents," he said.
"Otherwise, it looks like they're playing the system. And it seems they will be appealing."
His comments appear to refer to Malaysia's decision to debut five foreign-born players — Facundo Garces, Imanol Machuca, Jon Irazabal, Joao Figueiredo and Rodrigo Holgado — in a FIFA match day clash against Vietnam on June 10, which ended in a thumping 4-0 win for Peter Cklamovski's side.
What has made the accusation even more incendiary is Justin's comparison with Indonesia, claiming his country follows strict rules on lineage verification.
"In Indonesia, we trace a player's ancestry two or three generations back, with birth certificates and everything," he said.
"Look at our players — (Shayne) Pattynama, (Joey) Pelupessy, (Ragnar) Oratmangoen, (Stefano) Lilipaly, even Emil Audero — all clearly have Indonesian blood."
The claims have sent social media into overdrive, coming at a time when Malaysia's aggressive recruitment of foreign talent has already raised eyebrows.
However, AFC has already poured cold water on any talk of a brewing scandal.
On July 4, AFC general-secretary Datuk Seri Windsor Paul dismissed speculation that Malaysia are under investigation for fielding ineligible players, confirming that no complaint had been received regarding the June 10 match.
"Eligibility matters fall strictly under FIFA's jurisdiction," he said.
FAM, through secretary-general Datuk Noor Azman Rahman, also denied any wrongdoing, stressing that the association had complied fully with international guidelines and had not received any communication from FIFA or the AFC.