The Malaysia Football League has confirmed a technical error in the submission of player lists during the Liga Super match between Penang FC and Kuching City FC held at the Stadium Bandaraya on March 15, following a full investigation involving match officials, club representatives and competition coordinators.
According to MFL, the review found that Kuching City FC player Scott Philip Woods was not properly marked in the official match list by the match commissioner, despite being registered as a substitute. The league stated that multiple officials, including the match commissioner, game coordinator and fourth official, failed to follow standard operating procedures when verifying player eligibility in the dressing room prior to kick-off.
The investigation further revealed that a substitution made in the 90+6 minute of the match was allowed without proper cross-checking, resulting in a situation where a player who was not fully listed in the official documentation was permitted to take part in the game. MFL described this as a clear breach of its competition technical regulations for the 2025–2026 season.
Despite the administrative lapse, MFL confirmed that the result of the match remains unchanged, with Kuching City FC retaining their 1-0 victory over Penang FC. However, disciplinary action has been imposed on both the club and match officials involved in the incident.
Kuching City FC has been fined RM30,000 and issued a stern warning over its responsibility to ensure accurate player registration details. Meanwhile, the match commissioner has been suspended for 12 months, including a six-month rehabilitation period, while the game coordinator has been handed a six-month suspension. Further action regarding the fourth official will be determined by the Football Association of Malaysia.
MFL noted that similar breaches of competition procedures have occurred in previous seasons, including matches involving Kelantan FC and Negeri Sembilan FC in 2021, as well as Penang FC II against Terengganu FC II in 2024. In those cases, results were also maintained, but officials faced fines and suspensions.
Reiterating its stance, MFL stressed that all clubs and match officials are fully accountable for maintaining the integrity of the competition. The league added that any negligence affecting professionalism and fairness in Malaysian football will not be tolerated, with strict enforcement measures to be continued moving forward.
