Malaysian media exclaims as there is a 50% chance of winning the case against FIFA

Malaysian media outlet Makanbola reacted notably after the AFC declared Malaysia's chances of winning the case at FIFA to be only 50%, amid the approaching and eagerly awaited CAS ruling on the naturalization scandal scheduled for February 26.

Right at the beginning of the article, MakanBola reiterated AFC’s viewpoint with a clearly quoted headline: “AFC: Malaysia has a 50% chance to win the case at FIFA”. The newspaper continued by quoting an official assessment from Windsor John: “Malaysia is considered to have a 50-50 chance of winning the appeal at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).”

The article emphasized that Windsor John’s “50-50” assessment was not made randomly but based on the fact that CAS approved a temporary suspension of the 12-month ban on 7 Malaysian-origin players during the appeal process. This is a key point that drew special attention from Malaysian media.

Windsor John frankly admitted that in his AFC career since 2015, this is the first time CAS has granted such a temporary suspension in cases related to AFC sanctions. According to him, this indicates that Malaysia’s case has unique elements differing from previous precedents.

MakanBola quoted Windsor’s exact words on the program XI Sebelas Utama (Astro Arena), where he stressed that obtaining a suspension order is very difficult due to extremely strict legal criteria. Therefore, Malaysia achieving this makes the situation more unpredictable, but it still cannot be confirmed that they will win the case. The newspaper also pointed out that, based on AFC’s experience, all parties sanctioned who appealed to CAS and requested suspension orders previously failed.

However, MakanBola also noted that having a temporary suspension of the penalty does not mean Malaysia will definitely win the case. Windsor John remains cautious, stating the chance is only 50-50, meaning everything is still uncertain until the final ruling.

MakanBola’s article also recalled that this case originated from allegations regarding the eligibility of 7 naturalized Malaysian players, leading to FIFA sanctions and then the appeal process at CAS. Finally, the newspaper concluded by emphasizing the upcoming decisive moment: “The decision on the appeal by the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) and these 7 Malaysian-origin players is expected to be announced on February 26.”