Nepal has officially appealed to FIFA to overturn their 2-0 loss to Malaysia in the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers held in March, alleging that Malaysia fielded an ineligible player during the match.
This comes just weeks after FIFA sanctioned the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) with a US$440,000 (RM1.8 million) fine and imposed one-year bans on seven foreign-born Malaysian players, citing the use of forged ancestry documents to gain eligibility.
One of those players, Hector Hevel, was the scorer of Malaysia’s first goal in the contested match in Johor. According to Indra Man Tuladhar, CEO of the All Nepal Football Association (ANFA), “We have reached out regarding an ineligible player in the match. Thus, the result has to be overturned.”
FIFA’s investigation alleged that none of the seven players had parents or grandparents born in Malaysia, which violates the eligibility criteria for representing a national team. While FAM denied any deliberate wrongdoing, the findings have placed Malaysian football under a harsh global spotlight once again.
The ruling also revealed that these players had featured in Malaysia’s 4-0 victory over Vietnam in the Asian Cup qualifiers in June, raising questions about other match results and Malaysia’s position in Group F.
As of now, Malaysia leads the group with 12 points, followed by Vietnam (9 points), Laos (3 points), and Nepal, who sit at the bottom with zero points.
While the appeal process continues, this controversy not only threatens Malaysia’s qualification standing but also underscores a growing global concern about nationality fraud in international football. The football community now waits anxiously to see whether FIFA will overturn the match result or uphold Malaysia’s win — a decision that could reshape the group standings and the credibility of the national team.
At the heart of it all, this incident serves as a reminder: fair play and integrity are the foundation of the beautiful game. The pursuit of victory should never outweigh the value of honesty and authenticity — on or off the field.
