Anger continues to build in Malaysia as football fortunes with naturalised players backfire
Following the mass resignations of governing body’s executives, critics and pundits believe addressing issues from bottom up is the way forward
A ham-fisted attempt to ramp up Malaysia’s footballing fortunes with foreign-born players has backfired, critics say, sparking soul-searching and calls to redouble the focus on home-grown talent.
Malaysian football was thrown into fresh chaos on Wednesday when the local governing body’s entire executive body quit.
It was the latest twist in a saga over seven naturalised players who allegedly used forged documents to join the national team.
Fifa accused the Malaysian football association (FAM) of using doctored birth certificates to claim ancestral links to the Southeast Asian nation – a prerequisite for national selection – when none in fact existed.
World football’s governing body suspended the players and slapped more than US$450,000 in fines on the FAM.
The FAM and players appealed at the Court of Arbitration for Sport, which has granted a stay on the 12-month bans until the case is reviewed in late February.