Family photo of naturalized Malaysian player

Johor Darul Ta'zim (JDT) striker Joao Figueiredo attracted attention when he posted a family photo on social media, amid a scandal over falsifying naturalization documents.

Figueiredo's eye-catching family photo.

Figueiredo was one of seven naturalized players suspended on September 27, after a FIFA investigation found several discrepancies in his Malaysian-born documents. The decision resulted in the Brazilian-born striker being banned from playing for the national team and missing important matches for JDT.

According to a FIFA report on October 6, the records show that the grandparents of the seven players were all born in countries such as Brazil, Argentina, the Netherlands and Spain, with absolutely no evidence of Malaysian origin. Documents submitted by the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) previously stated that Figueiredo's grandmother was born in Johor, but FIFA's test results denied this information.

Amid the ongoing investigation, Figueiredo’s Instagram post has caused further stir. He is pictured with his family and a woman believed to be his grandmother. The online community immediately questioned whether this was the person listed in the file that FIFA determined was false?

FAM has now appealed to FIFA, with a final decision expected to be announced on October 30. However, Figueiredo's photo has once again fueled controversy over the transparency of the nationality verification process, making the scandal even more confusing.

Source: https://znews.vn/buc-anh-gia-dinh-cua-cau-thu-nhap-tich-malaysia-post1595077.html