Malaysian fans react strongly to AFC's decision regarding four naturalized players

Malaysian fans are expressing outrage as the Malaysian National League organizer (MFL) continues to register four naturalized players as domestic players, despite FIFA previously concluding that they used forged documents to meet eligibility requirements.

According to the announcement from MFL, the registration of players Joao Figueiredo, Jon Irazabal, Hector Hevel, and Gabriel Palmero was carried out in accordance with M-League regulations. Among them, three players Figueiredo, Irazabal, and Hevel are playing for Johor Darul Ta'zim, while Palmero plays for Kuching City. This has also been approved by AFC.

However, many fans believe MFL's explanation is insufficient. On social media forums, fans in the country demand that the tournament organizers publicly disclose the specific clause that allows these players to be counted as domestic players, especially in the context where CAS and FIFA have both determined that the group of four players were "complicit" in the document fraud case.

A user named RuleReader wrote on Reddit: “MFL says these players are registered as local players according to tournament regulations, but which clause allows players of such background to be considered domestic? Please show us that clause.”

Meanwhile, the account EligibleAnalyst argues that MFL citing Article 3.3 of the MYPAS registration system appears to contradict FIFA's conclusion. “MFL's announcement says the players used valid identity cards, but FIFA determined they were not eligible to play. How can these two points be reconciled?”, this person asked.

MFL later explained that the registration follows the regulations of the 2025-2026 M-League season, which requires players to upload personal documents such as identity cards or passports in PDF format when completing procedures. According to the federation, all four players provided valid identity cards issued by the National Registration Department.

Nevertheless, the wave of debate has not subsided. Some fans argue that meeting domestic document procedures is insufficient to resolve conflicts with international regulations.

“No one is attacking the tournament. Fans simply want to know exactly which clause in the M-League regulations supports MFL's decision and how it aligns with the rulings of CAS and FIFA.”, another account wrote.

Notably, despite being registered to play in the domestic league, MFL still confirmed that all four players above must serve a 12-month suspension according to CAS's ruling on March 5, meaning they cannot participate in official matches in the near future.