KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia’s football federation suspended its secretary general on Friday and said it would establish an independent committee to probe an ongoing eligibility scandal involving seven foreign-born players.

Earlier this week, the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) appealed against a FIFA decision to ban the seven players after the world body accu­sed it of submitting doctored or false documents claiming the players had Malaysian ancestry.

FIFA said an investigation showed none of the players — who helped Malaysia to a 4-0 drubbing of Vietnam in June in an Asian Cup qualifier — had a parent or grandparent born in the Southeast Asian nation.

The FAM denies any deliberate wrongdoing.

“We are going to form an independent committee to look into what exactly has taken place, in order for us to be in a better position to give an answer to all this,” said FAM deputy president S. Sivasundaram.

FAM secretary-general Noor Azman Rahman “is suspended effective today to allow the committee to carry out its duties”, he told reporters at a press conference.

Apart from banning the seven — Hector Hevel, Jon Irazabal, Gabriel Palmero, Facundo Garces, Rodrigo Holgado, Imanol Machuca and Joao Brandao Figueredo — FIFA fined the Malaysian association $440,000.

The matter is now with FIFA’s appeals committee for a final decision.

Nepal, meanwhile, on Thursday appealed to FIFA to have the result of its 2-0 defeat against Malaysia in March to be overturned.

One of the seven, Hector Hevel, scored Malaysia’s opening goal in the match played in Johor, Malaysia.

Nepal are currently at the bottom of Asian Cup qualifying Group ‘F’ with no points from four games.

Malaysia are top on 12 points, Vietnam is second on nine points with Laos third on three.

Published in Dawn, October 18th, 2025