Why has FIFA not announced Malaysia's appeal decision?
Legal expert: delay is normal; FIFA needs more time, no date set; AFC plans to decide before March 31 to avoid affecting the 2027 Asian Cup.
FIFA has yet to announce a verdict on the appeal by the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) and seven naturalized players after being fined for procedural irregularities. According to legal experts, this silence reflects the complexity of the case and the internal working process, not a sign of abnormality.
Reasons for delay from a legal perspective
After receiving the penalty, FAM quickly filed an appeal. The representative lawyer said the decision could appear at the end of October, but so far there has been no official announcement. Sports lawyer Nik Erman Nik Roseli said this is a normal development in complex cases, which need time to be fully assessed.
"There could be several reasons why FIFA has not made a decision yet. First, they need more time to carefully consider the facts and legal arguments presented by the parties involved," he told Astro. According to him, reviewing the records and comparing arguments between the parties is a mandatory step before the competent authority makes a final conclusion.
Workload and requirements for drafting decisions
"They also need time to carefully draft their decisions," added Nik Erman Nik Roseli. FIFA's appeals committee often handles multiple cases simultaneously, so progress can be affected by the workload and standard procedures to ensure legal rigor.
FIFA does not set a fixed timeline.
Sports expert Datuk Pekan Ramli highlighted another important factor: FIFA did not set a deadline for the decisions. He said: "I don't think FIFA said that they would make a decision on that day. All we know is that the meeting took place on that day." This means that after the meeting, there are still internal review and approval steps before the results are announced.
Post-meeting process and public expectations
After a meeting, the drafting, consultation and final approval of the document often takes a long time, especially when there are many documents and arguments to compare. Therefore, a delay between the meeting and the publication is common, regardless of the initial forecast from the parties involved.
Impact related to AFC and Asian Cup 2027
In the meantime, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) is closely monitoring developments to ensure the tournament schedule is not affected. According to the information provided, the AFC is expected to make its decision before March 31 next year so as not to affect the draw for the 2027 Asian Cup. This is an important milestone to help maintain the stability of the organization.
The big picture
A synthesis of expert opinions suggests three pillars for the lengthy process: the complexity of the case and arguments, the workload of the FIFA Appeals Committee, and the lack of a mandatory timeframe for a decision. In this context, the current delay is considered to be in line with international football practice for similar cases.
Until an official announcement is made, the Malaysian stakeholders and fans will have to wait and see. Any new developments, especially the timelines related to the AFC’s organization, will be an important signal as to when the case is nearing its conclusion.
