FIFA punishes Malaysia with three 3-0 losses for fielding 7 ineligible foreign players -DR Congo next?

Pulse Sports Nigeria can report that the Malaysia football community has just imploded following players ineligibility scandal. 

FIFA has handed down brutal punishment, automatic 3-0 losses for matches where ineligible players featured, plus seven individuals banned and fines totalling over $450,000 in a decision that could derail the nation's football dreams.

The Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) confirmed on Wednesday that three recent international matches have been overturned and recorded as 3-0 losses. 

The affected games include friendly victories against Palestine and Singapore, as well as a draw with Cape Verde, all of which were played on home soil this year. 

For Malaysian fans who celebrated those results, the news hits like a gut punch, those wins are now officially defeats.

The controversy centres on seven foreign-born players who were found to have used forged documents to claim Malaysian ancestry. FIFA's investigation revealed that Hector Hevel, Jon Irazabal, Gabriel Palmero, Facundo Garces, Rodrigo Holgado, Imanol Machuca, and Joao Brandao Figueiredo did not meet the eligibility requirement of having a parent or grandparent born in Malaysia. 

The disciplinary proceedings were triggered after a complaint following Malaysia's 4-0 victory over Vietnam in an Asian Cup qualifier in June, a match in which two of the now-suspended players scored.

In addition to the match forfeitures, the FAM has been fined an extra $12,500, coming on top of a previous $440,000 penalty related to the scandal. 

A FIFA disciplinary committee meeting last Friday officially declared that "Malaysia is declared to have lost 3-0 in all three matches," per a Channels report.

The FAM has consistently denied any wrongdoing and stated its intention to appeal the decision to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

This isn't just about breaking rules, it's about consequences that could mean the difference between qualifying for major tournaments and watching from home. 

FIFA's message is crystal clear: eligibility violations won't be tolerated, no matter the nation involved. 

For Malaysia, the path forward just became infinitely more difficult, and the question now is whether other federations facing similar scrutiny, like DR Congo, could be next in line for FIFA's disciplinary hammer.