Johor Regent and JDT President Tunku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim clarified at an October 25, 2025 press conference that the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) confirmed the FIFA complaint regarding Malaysia's seven naturalized players did not originate from Vietnam Football Federation (VFF) officials, including the president or secretary-general.
The complaint was filed to FIFA on June 11, 2025—one day after Malaysia defeated Viet Nam 4–0 in Asian Cup 2027 qualifying—prompting FIFA to sanction the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) and seven heritage players on September 26 for allegedly falsifying eligibility documents, though FAM maintains the issue was merely a technical administrative error.
Tunku Ismail stated "it is strange that FIFA accepted a complaint from someone else" since the AFC informed him the report came from "someone in Viet Nam, but not the Football Federation," challenging earlier speculation within Malaysia that the complaint originated from either Viet Nam or Indonesia.
The seven sanctioned players—Gabriel Palmero, Facundo Garces, Rodrigo Holgado, Imanol Machuca, Joao Figueiredo, Jon Irazabal, and Hector Hevel—face one-year playing bans, with three playing for JDT and four at clubs in Argentina, Colombia, and Spain, though Tunku Ismail emphasized they obtained Malaysian nationality through legal procedures verified by the National Registration Department.
FAM's legal team submitted an appeal to FIFA on October 15, with a final decision expected by October 30, 2025, as Tunku Ismail expressed hope the sanctions might be reduced while calling for unity rather than blame assignment during the investigation process.
