https://www.scmp.com/rss/524278/feed The latest news and top stories on Rodrigo Holgado, a suspended Malaysian footballer. Born in Argentina, he last played as a forward for Colombian club América de Cali. Holgado was suspended by FIFA for 12 months in September 2025, alongside six other naturalised players, due to falsified documentation concerning his eligibility to represent Malaysia. He debuted for Malaysia in June 2025, scoring one goal, and is currently assisting in the appeal process. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Reuters,Agence France-Presse Reuters,Agence France-Presse Malaysia have been knocked out of contention ⁠for the 2027 ⁠Asian Cup after the ⁠Asian Football Confederation (AFC) overturned their qualifying wins over Nepal and Vietnam, saying the national team fielded players who were not eligible to represent the country. It was the latest and possibly final chapter in a long-running scandal over seven foreign-born players who used forged documents to play for Malaysia’s national team. “The defendant fielded ineligible players in the relevant AFC Asian Cup... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3346875/malaysia-out-asian-cup-race-after-afc-overturns-wins-hands-down-us50000-fine?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3346875/malaysia-out-asian-cup-race-after-afc-overturns-wins-hands-down-us50000-fine?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 17 Mar 2026 08:11:35 +0000 Reuters Reuters Malaysia’s football association said ⁠on Friday it ⁠was disappointed by a Court ⁠of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) ruling to partially uphold sanctions on seven footballers who played for the national team using falsified naturalisation documents. Deportivo Alaves’ Facundo Garces was among seven players banned for ‌a year by Fifa in September after it found that doctored documentation had been used so that they could play in an Asian Cup qualifier for Malaysia against Vietnam last year. The other... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3345710/malaysian-fa-disappointed-cas-ruling-partially-uphold-player-sanctions?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3345710/malaysian-fa-disappointed-cas-ruling-partially-uphold-player-sanctions?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 06 Mar 2026 08:41:24 +0000 Reuters Reuters The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) ⁠on Thursday ⁠eased sanctions on seven ⁠footballers who played for Malaysia using falsified naturalisation documents, ruling they will serve a 12-month suspension from official matches only. Deportivo Alaves’ Facundo Garces ‌was among seven players banned for a year by Fifa in September, after football’s governing body found that doctored documentation had been used so that they could play in an Asian Cup qualifier for ⁠Malaysia against Vietnam. The other... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3345622/court-arbitration-sport-cuts-sanctions-malaysia-players-official-match-bans?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3345622/court-arbitration-sport-cuts-sanctions-malaysia-players-official-match-bans?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 05 Mar 2026 15:30:10 +0000 Iman Muttaqin Yusof Iman Muttaqin Yusof Malaysia’s football leadership resigned en masse this week in what it called a governance move to protect the sport, but critics say any “reset” will count only if the association explains how allegedly forged eligibility documents were submitted and who will be held responsible. The Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) late on Thursday said it had formally informed Fifa and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) that all members of its executive committee for the 2025–2029 term had... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3341821/can-malaysian-football-reset-mass-resignations-kick-debate-about-possible-reboot?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3341821/can-malaysian-football-reset-mass-resignations-kick-debate-about-possible-reboot?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 30 Jan 2026 08:08:46 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Seven foreign-born players for Malaysia’s national football team have been cleared to keep competing after the Court of Arbitration for Sport temporarily halted Fifa-imposed bans while their appeal is reviewed, Malaysia’s football federation said on Tuesday. Last September, Fifa fined the Football Association of Malaysia 350,000 Swiss francs (US$450,000) for fake documents filed to naturalise the seven players, who were also fined and suspended for a year. The players stemmed from Argentina,... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3341381/7-fifa-banned-malaysian-footballers-cleared-play-after-cas-grants-stay?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3341381/7-fifa-banned-malaysian-footballers-cleared-play-after-cas-grants-stay?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 27 Jan 2026 07:33:25 +0000 Iman Muttaqin Yusof Iman Muttaqin Yusof Malaysia’s football authorities are under mounting pressure to convince Fifa that they can clean up after a forgery scandal that has shaken the national game, with experts warning that failure to act decisively could invite outside intervention by the sport’s global governing body. The latest flashpoint emerged after the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) on Thursday reinstated its secretary general Noor Azman Rahman, months after he was suspended amid an investigation into forged documents... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3339290/malaysian-football-body-risks-fifas-takeover-amid-forgery-scandal?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3339290/malaysian-football-body-risks-fifas-takeover-amid-forgery-scandal?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 09 Jan 2026 06:21:41 +0000 Joseph Sipalan Joseph Sipalan Malaysia’s football governing body on Thursday reinstated its secretary general Noor Azman Rahman with immediate effect, after finding that he had no role in the forgery of documents used to enable seven foreign-born players to represent the country. The Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) was plunged into an embarrassing crisis in September after Fifa, the sport’s global ruling body, ruled that FAM had submitted forged documents to claim Malaysian ancestry for seven “heritage” players of the... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3339206/malaysian-football-body-reinstates-its-chief-says-he-has-no-role-forgery-scandal?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3339206/malaysian-football-body-reinstates-its-chief-says-he-has-no-role-forgery-scandal?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 08 Jan 2026 11:11:42 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Global footballers’ union FIFPro says that seven players embroiled in a Malaysian national team eligibility scandal are themselves victims and their 12-month bans “grossly disproportionate”. Malaysia’s federation, FAM, has appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport after football’s world governing body Fifa banned the players and fined FAM US$440,000 in September for submitting false documents that said the foreign-born players had Malaysian ancestry. The players were also fined 2,000 Swiss... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3334874/footballers-malaysia-eligibility-scandal-are-victims-ban-unfair-says-union?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3334874/footballers-malaysia-eligibility-scandal-are-victims-ban-unfair-says-union?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 02 Dec 2025 06:41:57 +0000 Iman Muttaqin Yusof Iman Muttaqin Yusof Malaysia’s football association said it was “deeply shocked” after Fifa rejected its appeal against the sanctions imposed by the sport’s global body over forged documents that allowed seven foreign-born players to represent the country. The football-mad nation has been rocked by the scandal that unfolded in September when Fifa found the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) guilty of falsifying ancestry documents to help the so-called “heritage” players become eligible to play for the national... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3331442/malaysia-football-shocked-fifas-appeal-rejection-over-player-eligibility?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3331442/malaysia-football-shocked-fifas-appeal-rejection-over-player-eligibility?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 04 Nov 2025 06:20:28 +0000