Malaysian Football Officials Resign Over Foreign-Born Players Scandal
Tan Cheng Hoe was appointed interim head coach of the Malaysian national football team on June 25, 2026, following the termination of contracts for CEO Rob Friend, head coach Peter Cklamovski, and four other coaching staff members on June 18, 2026. These changes occurred after the entire executive committee of the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) resigned on January 28, 2026, amid a scandal involving the eligibility of foreign-born players and an ongoing FIFA criminal investigation into forged documents. As of June 25, 2026, FAM affiliates have approved statute amendments following an AFC audit, and new leadership is expected to be elected in September 2026, while the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) provisionally suspended FIFA bans on seven players on January 26, 2026.
Timeline
Want updates on this thread?
Track this storyTimeline of developments
June 2026 — 3 developments
Tan Cheng Hoe Appointed Interim Malaysian Football Coach Amid Departures
Tan Cheng Hoe has been appointed as the interim head coach of the Malaysian national football team on June 25, 2026. This follows the termination of contracts for the national team CEO and head coach amid a scandal involving the eligibility of foreign-born players.
FAM terminates contracts of CEO, national coach and staff amid scandal
The Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) has terminated the contracts of CEO Rob Friend, national team head coach Peter Cklamovski, and two coaching staff members, Matthew Smith and Seiya Imazaki, along with U23 head coach Nafuzi Zain and goalkeeper coach Mohd Yazid Mohd Yassin. These separations were stated to be based on mutual agreement and follow the mass resignation of the executive committee in January 2026.
Malaysian FA Approves Statute Amendments After Audit, Overseen by AFC
FAM affiliates unanimously approved amendments to the association's statutes following an AFC audit that revealed governance weaknesses. The AFC will now oversee FAM's reform implementation for two years, requiring quarterly progress reports. New leadership for FAM is expected to be elected in September 2026.
February 2026 — 1 developments
PBMM proposes independent monitoring panel, Dollah Salleh comments on FAM election eligibility
The Malaysia Malay Football Association (PBMM) has proposed the creation of an independent monitoring panel comprising neutral FAM representatives. Separately, former FAM deputy president Datuk Dollah Salleh stated that only FAM's member associations should determine eligibility for upcoming FAM elections, following the mass resignation of the executive committee.
January 2026 — 3 developments
Malaysian football leadership resignations spark debate over forged eligibility documents
The mass resignations within Malaysian football leadership have sparked a debate about a potential 'reset' for the sport, with critics arguing for accountability regarding the alleged forged eligibility documents.
FAM Executive Committee Resigns to Safeguard Association's Credibility
The entire executive committee of the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) resigned with immediate effect, citing a unanimous and voluntary decision to safeguard the association's credibility and mitigate further adverse consequences.
Court of Arbitration for Sport provisionally suspends FIFA bans on seven players
The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) granted a provisional suspension of the FIFA-imposed bans on the seven players, allowing them to return to play while their appeal is under review.
December 2025 — 2 developments
FAM Appeals FIFA Decision to Court of Arbitration for Sport
FAM submitted an appeal against FIFA's decision to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in Switzerland.
FIFA penalizes Malaysia, overturns friendly wins, and imposes additional fine
FIFA further penalized Malaysia by overturning three friendly match victories into 3-0 defeats and imposing an additional fine of US$12,500.
November 2025 — 2 developments
FIFA launches criminal investigation into forged documents, involving authorities and football federations
FIFA officially launched a criminal investigation into the forged documents, involving authorities and football federations from the players' countries of origin.
FIFA Appeal Committee rejects FAM's appeal, upholds forgery sanctions
The FIFA Appeal Committee rejected FAM's appeal, upholding the initial sanctions and confirming the findings of forgery and falsification.
October 2025 — 1 developments
Malaysia defends naturalization process for suspended players; FAM to appeal FIFA decision
Malaysia publicly defended its naturalization process for the suspended players, while FAM announced its intention to appeal FIFA's disciplinary decision.
September 2025 — 1 developments
FIFA fines FAM CHF 350,000 and suspends 7 players for doctored naturalization documents
FIFA imposed sanctions on FAM, including a fine of CHF 350,000 (approximately USD 450,000), and suspended the seven foreign-born players for one year after determining that doctored documents were used to support their naturalization.
August 2025 — 2 developments
FAM President Joehari Ayub Resigns Citing Health Reasons Amidst Scandal
FAM President Joehari Ayub resigned from his position, citing health reasons amidst the burgeoning scandal.
FIFA Disciplinary Committee initiates proceedings against FAM for forgery and falsification
Following an investigation, FIFA's Disciplinary Committee initiated formal proceedings against FAM, citing violations of Article 22 of the FIFA Code related to forgery and falsification.
June 2025 — 2 developments
FIFA receives formal complaint over player naturalization process
FIFA received a formal complaint from a member association, questioning the legitimacy of the players' naturalization process.
Malaysia Debuts Seven Foreign-Born Players in 4-0 Victory Over Vietnam
Seven foreign-born players, whose eligibility was later questioned, debuted for Malaysia in a 4-0 victory against Vietnam during a 2027 Asian Cup qualifier.
March 2025 — 1 developments
FAM processed FIFA eligibility for seven foreign-born players from March to June 2025
From March to June 2025, the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) processed the FIFA eligibility for seven foreign-born players by submitting their birth certificates and those of their grandparents.