FIFA ban until 2027? Indonesian pundit drops bombshell on Malaysia
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.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Star
30 minutes ago
- The Star
Foreign chef hopefuls turn failed home invaders
Compiled by FAZLEENA AZIZ, C. ARUNO and R. ARAVINTHAN FAILING to find jobs in Malaysia, three Chinese nationals turned to burglary in Kuala Perlis but were caught in the act by the homeowner and his neighbours. Sin Chew Daily reported that the suspects, aged between 38 and 54, have been remanded until July 24. Kangar OCPD Asst Comm Yusharifuddin Mohd Yusop said the suspects entered Malaysia via KL International Airport last week. They then travelled by bus to Perlis in search of chef jobs but were unsuccessful, he said. He said preliminary investigations found that the men drove a rented car to a housing estate and broke into a house last Friday. 'A resident walked past his uncle's house around 10.10pm and noticed that the back door had been pried open. 'Upon being notified, the house owner checked the surveillance cameras and found three strangers inside his home,' Asst Comm Yusharifuddin said. > China Press reported that Malaysian singer Jess Lee Kar Wei secured third place in the latest round of the reality competition Singer 2025 in China. She exceeded her own expectations with a powerful rendition of Thinking of You 365 Days – a classic hit by the late Coco Lee. In 2010, Jess rose to fame after winning the talent show One Million Star in Taiwan. She shot to stardom in China with a live performance of her signature song Suffering while competing in Singer 2015. However, her career took a downturn during the Covid-19 pandemic, and she had to work as a real estate agent in Taiwan to make ends meet. The 37-year-old from Seremban, Negri Sembilan, had expressed a strong desire to return to the music scene. On July 4, she successfully earned a spot in Singer 2025. The above articles are compiled from the vernacular newspapers (Bahasa Malaysia, Chinese and Tamil dailies). As such, stories are grouped according to the respective language/medium. Where a paragraph begins with a, it denotes a separate news item.
The Star
an hour ago
- The Star
Yakeb pay tribute to late ex-national footballer Gopinath
PETALING JAYA: The National Athletes Welfare Foundation (Yakeb) continued to show their commitment to supporting former athletes – this time by visiting the family of the late T. Gopinath Naidu in Cheras, Kuala Lumpur. The visit, part of the foundation's Visit & Treat – Skuad Yakeb Prihatin initiative, was led by Yakeb chairman Datuk Ahmad Shapawi Ismail and joined by members of the Yakeb management team and Kuala Lumpur football legend and former national player Datuk Subadron Aziz. The programme is part of Yakeb's ongoing efforts to reach out to former athletes or their families who are facing hardship, while also offering welfare assistance and death benefits as a mark of remembrance and appreciation for their contributions to the nation. During the visit, Yakeb presented a death benefit contribution to the late Gopinath's father, P. Samy @ Thambirajah, as the foundation's final tribute to the family. 'He was touched by the gesture and described the visit as a sign that his son's contributions have not been forgotten by the country and the sporting community,' Yakeb said in a statement. Gopinath was a prolific striker who played for Kuala Lumpur, Perak, and the Malaysian national team. His talent was evident from a young age, having first worn the Kuala Lumpur junior team jersey at 12, before going on to represent the national youth squad. He was also given the opportunity to train abroad with English club Aston Villa and German side Bayer Leverkusen. Known for his agility and clinical finishing in front of goal, Gopinath helped Kuala Lumpur lift the Malaysian FA Cup in 1993 and 1994. He also featured in Malaysia's campaign at the 1994 Asian Games in Hiroshima and the qualifiers for the 1996 Atlanta Olympics. However, a serious knee ligament injury forced him into early retirement from professional football. He passed away on May 24 following a heart attack.
The Sun
an hour ago
- The Sun
No sabotage: e‑gate glitch delays 380,000 foreign travellers
PETALING JAYA: The Border Control and Protection Agency has ruled out sabotage or cyberattacks as the cause of the recent disruption to the automated gate (e-gate) system, which led to significant delays for foreign travellers at key national entry points. Its director-general Datuk Seri Mohd Shuhaily Mohd Zain said the issue, which occurred last Friday and Saturday, was due to a technical fault in the Malaysian Immigration System (MyIMMS), linked to an international enforcement agency. 'The system failure slowed down cross-verification of visitor records, resulting in long queues and severe congestion. We deeply regret the incident,' he said during a press conference at KL International Airport (KLIA) Terminal 1 yesterday. He confirmed that about 380,000 travellers were affected over the two-day period, with the worst congestion reported at the Sultan Iskandar CIQ Complex in Johor. 'A full investigation is ongoing, but so far we've found no evidence of sabotage or cyberattack. I prefer not to speculate further to avoid causing unnecessary public concern.' The affected e-gate systems – located at the Sultan Iskandar CIQ Complex, Sultan Abu Bakar CIQ Complex and KLIA terminals 1 and 2 – were gradually restored by Saturday night. Mohd Shuhaily clarified that while the agency oversees frontline border enforcement, the infrastructure and maintenance of the system fall under the Immigration Department's responsibility. He stressed that both agencies had worked closely to resolve the issue. 'We've been in constant communication with the Immigration Department to respond to challenges on the ground,' he said, adding that measures would be taken to prevent similar disruptions in future. Earlier reports indicated that a data integration error within MyIMMS had hindered the verification process, triggering congestion at several major checkpoints, including KLIA, the Sultan Iskandar CIQ Complex and the Sultan Abu Bakar CIQ Complex. The agency confirmed that Malaysian passport holders were unaffected and that swift action was taken in coordination with the Immigration Department to mitigate the impact.
