Match result stands as Kuching City FC fined RM30,000

KUCHING (April 2): The Malaysian Football League (MFL) has confirmed that the Super League result between Penang FC and Kuching City FC on March 15 will stand, despite identifying multiple procedural failures surrounding the registration of player Scott Galang Woods.

In a statement uploaded on the MFL Facebook page on Tuesday, the league said a comprehensive review had been conducted into the incident at City Stadium, Penang, with full reports received from both teams, match officials, the Match Commissioner (MC), Game Coordinator (GC) and Fourth Official (P4).

The investigation found that a technical error occurred in the preparation of the official ‘Team List’ by the MC where Woods (jersey No. 5) was not marked in the document despite being duly registered in the ‘Selection List’ as a substitute by Kuching City.

It also determined that the MC, GC and P4 failed to carry out the Standard Operating Procedure for player verification in the dressing room as required.

In addition, a substitution made in the 90+6th minute was allowed by the GC and P4 without thorough verification of the ‘Team List’, resulting in a player not officially listed being fielded.

The MFL confirmed that there had been non compliance with the Malaysian League 2025 to 2026 Match Organisation Technical Regulations, citing errors by the MC in preparing the ‘Team List’, failure by the GC and P4 to conduct proper checks before and during the match, as well as negligence on the part of the club in not thoroughly reviewing the document prior to confirmation.

As a result, Kuching City FC have been fined RM30,000 and issued a stern warning for their negligence in ensuring the accuracy of the ‘Team List’.

However, the Board decided that the match result, a 1-0 win for Kuching City FC, would be maintained, as Woods had been properly registered in the broader ‘Selection List’ and the error occurred during final documentation.

Meanwhile, the MC has been handed a 12 month suspension from duties with the final six months subject to a rehabilitation phase while the GC has been suspended for six months.

Further action against the P4 will be determined by the Football Association of Malaysia.

For the record, the MFL noted that a similar breach of the same regulations occurred during a Premier League match between Kelantan FC and Negeri Sembilan FC on Aug 27, 2021, where the home team fielded an ineligible player after exceeding the permitted number of substitutions.

The result, a 2-1 win for Kelantan FC, was upheld but the club was fined RM30,000 while the MC and GC were suspended for six months and the P4 faced disciplinary action by FAM.

A similar incident also took place in the MFL Cup involving Penang FC II and Terengganu FC II on Oct 5, 2024, where a player not listed in the ‘Team List’ was introduced in the 70th minute.

The match ended 2-2, with the result maintained, while the MC and GC were suspended for six months and the P4 was sanctioned by FAM.

The MFL stressed that all parties, including match officials and clubs, bear full responsibility to ensure compliance with all competition procedures, particularly in technical aspects such as the preparation and verification of the ‘Team List’.

It added that any negligence affecting the integrity of the competition would not be tolerated and firm action would continue to be taken to uphold the professional standards of the Malaysian League.