Nepal has lodged an appeal with FIFA, seeking to overturn its 2-0 loss to Malaysia in the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers held in March, alleging that Malaysia fielded an ineligible player during the match.
The appeal follows FIFA’s recent decision to ban seven foreign-born Malaysian players for one year and fine the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) $440,000 for submitting forged ancestry documents.
One of the banned players, Hector Hevel, scored Malaysia’s opening goal in the fixture played in Johor, Malaysia.
“We have reached out regarding an ineligible player in the match. Thus, the result has to be overturned,” said Indra Man Tuladhar, Chief Executive Officer of the All Nepal Football Association (ANFA), in a statement to AFP.
FIFA’s investigation revealed that none of the seven players had a parent or grandparent born in Malaysia, contradicting the documents submitted by FAM that claimed Malaysian ancestry and eligibility.
FAM, however, denied any deliberate wrongdoing.
The seven players also featured in Malaysia’s 4-0 Asian Cup qualifying victory over Vietnam in June before the scandal broke.
Nepal currently sits bottom of Group F, with no points from four matches in the ongoing Asian Cup qualification campaign.
