Nepal appeals to FIFA to overturn Malaysia defeat
Nepal has formally asked FIFA to overturn their 2-0 loss to Malaysia in the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers, arguing that Malaysia fielded an ineligible player. The claim centres on allegations that Hector Hevel, one of Malaysia’s goal scorers, was among seven foreign-born players whose ancestry documents were found to be forged. These documents purportedly allowed them to represent Malaysia, but FIFA later sanctioned Malaysia’s Football Association (FAM) after discovering that none of the players had a parent or grandparent born in Malaysia. The disciplinary action included a one-year ban for all seven players and a substantial fine for the FAM.
The All Nepal Football Association (ANFA) says the match result should be overturned because of the breach. If the complaint succeeds, Nepal could be awarded a 3-0 forfeit win as per competition rules. Malaysia have maintained that any errors were administrative rather than intentional. At present, Nepal remain at the bottom of their qualifying group with no points from their four matches. Malaysia are leading the group, followed by Vietnam and Laos.
