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“Using ineligible players is a clear violation,” Indonesian outlet She was quoted Windsor as saying on Tuesday. “After an investigation, if it’s determined that the players are ineligible, the match result (which is a 4-0 victory over Vietnam) will be canceled and a 3-0 win will be awarded to the opponent.”

Windsor emphasized that this rule is clearly stated in the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) and continental tournament regulations.

“All decisions will be made by the Disciplinary Committee, based on the severity of the offense,” he added. “Once the legal process is complete and the players’ ineligibility is confirmed, AFC will automatically apply point deductions.”

Winsor, 64, a Malaysian nationality, who has served as AFC general secretary for the past decade, said the confederation will wait for the results of the Football Association of Malaysia’s (FAM) appeal to FIFA and the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).

“Once the final ruling is available, we’ll forward it to the AFC Disciplinary Committee for further action in line with competition rules,” Windsor said.

On Sept. 26, FIFA announced sanctions on FAM and imposed a one-year suspension on seven naturalized Malaysian players, including Gabriel Palmero, Jon Irazabal (Spain), Facundo Garces, Rodrigo Holgado, Imanol Machuca (Argentina), Joao Figueiredo (Brazil), and Hector Hevel (Netherlands). The players were accused of using falsified documents during their naturalization process.

On Monday, FIFA released a detailed 19-page report alleging that FAM and the players submitted falsified documents to prove their grandparents are Malaysian and obtain citizenship. FIFA said the original birth certificates revealed that the grandparents were actually born in Argentina, Brazil, the Netherlands and Spain, not Malaysia.

FAM now has three days to declare whether it will appeal, five days to submit its full appeal to FIFA and 10 additional days to request an appeal review. If the FAM brings the case to CAS, that will be the final stage before AFC makes its decision.

The FIFA Disciplinary Committee (FDC) stated that FAM’s conduct undermined the integrity of international football and violated the principles of fair play. It also revealed that one team had filed a complaint just one day after Malaysia’s 4-0 win over Vietnam on June 10, though the identity of that team remained undisclosed.

FAM has issued a statement rejecting FIFA’s decision, calling it “inaccurate and unfair.” The federation maintained that all naturalization procedures were legal, verified by Malaysian authorities, and conducted according to national law, The Star reported.

FAM also clarified that it cannot disclose passport or nationality verification details, as such information is protected under Malaysian law, and may only be shared with FIFA in this case.

Malaysia’s top club Johor Darul Ta’zim (JDT) could also face penalties if found to have fielded ineligible players named by FIFA in the AFC Champions League Elite. Under AFC rules, any club that use an ineligible player automatically forfeits the match 0-3 and may be disqualified.

AFC confirmed it is reviewing JDT’s squad list and match records, focusing on players named in FIFA’s list of suspended individuals.