Malaysia soccer federation suspends senior official in fallout from FIFA cheating accusations

The Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) has taken decisive action by suspending its secretary general, Noor Azman Rahman, following allegations by FIFA that the country fielded ineligible players in a 2027 Asian Cup qualifier. The controversy stems from falsified documentation involving the players’ grandparents, which led to FIFA suspending seven overseas-born players and imposing a $438,000 fine on FAM. The incident occurred during a June match where Malaysia triumphed over Vietnam with a 4-0 victory.