Gabriel. Rodrigo. These were the names the sports minister chose to spotlight as Malaysia reeled from FIFA’s damning verdict on football fraud.

She meant to show that every athlete matters — whether it is Azizul on a bicycle, Pandelela on a diving board, or naturalised footballers in a Harimau Malaya jersey.

But Malaysia’s humiliation is not about names on a team sheet.

It is about how those names got there — through deceit, shortcuts, and a system that failed the nation.

In her first words on the scandal, Hannah Yeoh urged Malaysians to be patient as the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) appeals the decision that exposed the fraudulent naturalisation of players.

Patience is a tall order. Because this is not just about Spaniard Gabriel Arrocha, Argentine Rodrigo Holgado and their five naturalised teammates.

It is about falsified documents, Malaysia’s reputation being dragged into the dock, and the credibility of its football governance being shredded before the world.

For a scandal this grave, leadership demands urgency, not deferral.

By asking for patience, the minister risks appearing as though accountability can be put on hold while legal processes take their course.

But accountability and legal appeals are not the same thing. One belongs in Zurich, the other belongs in Putrajaya.

The facts are plain. FIFA has declared that Malaysia fielded players ineligible to wear the national jersey.

That is not just a sporting violation. It is a shame. It is a breach of trust.

And it happened while FAM enjoyed the support of the government, the confidence of Parliament, and RM15 million in public funds allocated by the prime minister to strengthen Harimau Malaya.

That money was not given as charity. It came with expectations — of professionalism, pride, and integrity.

Instead, Malaysians have been handed global disgrace.

Now, FAM says it will appeal. Fine. But appeals can take months, even longer.

Are Malaysians expected to sit quietly in the meantime, while the nation’s name remains tainted, the players and fans remain in limbo, and public confidence remains unsettled?

An appeal may or may not succeed. But no legal victory can restore dignity lost through deception.

What Malaysians need to hear from the sports minister is not a plea for patience but a plan for accountability.

Were fake documents used to secure players’ eligibility? What safeguards will stop this from happening again? Who will answer for the lies that have shamed the nation?

This moment called for a voice that rose above FAM’s excuses and spoke for the people.

Instead, Yeoh’s first instinct was to manage expectations — as though the problem was impatience, not fraud.

That misjudges the depth of public anger. Malaysians are not impatient. They are insulted.

FAM has long staggered from blunder to blunder. Fans forgave. Governments indulged.

But FIFA’s ruling has stripped away the last refuge of denial.

This is no longer about missed goals or failed campaigns. It is about dishonesty at the highest level of football administration.

When institutions fail, leadership must not flinch. That is what Malaysians expect from their minister — a line drawn, a standard set, a pledge that the game belongs to those who honour it.

Instead, the nation was told to wait — to wait for lawyers, to wait for Zurich, to wait for answers that should already be demanded at home.

The views expressed are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect those of FMT.