'U.23 Malaysia will be missing key players in the match against Laos', captain Fazili mentioned about U.23 Vietnam

Although the goal is to reach the final and compete for the gold medal in men's football at the 33rd SEA Games, the preparation process of U.23 Malaysia is facing many difficulties.

U.23 Malaysia is likely to be without 5 key players in the match against Laos.

At the 33rd SEA Games taking place in Thailand this December, U.23 Malaysia is in Group B, along with U.23 Vietnam and U.23 Laos. The young players of the "Malaysian Tigers" will have their opening match on December 7, against U.23 Laos. Then, on December 11, U.23 Malaysia will face U.23 Vietnam. Coach Nafuzi Zain announced the call-up list, including 25 players, on November 21. It is expected that after training in the country, U.23 Malaysia will arrive in Thailand on December 5 to prepare for the 33rd SEA Games.

However, according to Astro Arena, in the latest training session of U.23 Malaysia, only 20 players appeared. The absent players include Ubaidullah Shamsul Fazili, Fergus Tierney, Muhammad Abu Khalil, Haqimi Azim Rosli and Aliff Izwan Yuslan. Notably, these are all players considered the most prominent in Malaysian youth football at the moment. Journalist Saufi Tahir revealed that even in the opening match against U.23 Laos, this group of 5 players will likely be absent.

“20 of the 25 players called up by coach Nafuzi Zain have arrived at the training centre. Five key players have not shown up and the possibility of them being present in the match against Laos is extremely low. The reason is that they need to complete a series of commitments in the 2025-2026 Super League with their respective teams. Therefore, Mr. Nafuzi Zain admitted that the U.23 team's preparation for the SEA Games has been greatly affected,” commented journalist Saufi Tahir.

Highly rated star in the U.23 Malaysia squad, Fergus Tierney (yellow shirt), will likely not play in the match against U.23 Laos.

PHOTO: DONG NGUYEN KHANG

Astro Arena's journalist commented: "Coach Nafuzi Zain understands that experts and fans are placing high expectations on the U.23 team at the 2025 SEA Games. Mr. Nafuzi Zain also made a strong statement, forcing his players to advance to the semi-finals because they cannot return home without a medal. However, this is not an easy task, because considering the current situation, the U.23 team needs to play at more than 100% of their strength in Thailand. With only 20 players, U.23 Malaysia will face many difficulties in defeating U.23 Laos. Next, the match against U.23 Vietnam will be considered the final match of the group, deciding our ticket to the next round. U.23 Vietnam is the team that just won the U.23 Southeast Asia Championship, many players play in domestic tournaments, and is very well organized. Even though U.23 Malaysia has enough force at that time, if they do not build a clear plan, U.23 Malaysia could completely lose and be eliminated early. At that time, Mr. Nafuzi Zain's goal will be a complete failure."

Following journalist Saufi Tahir, on November 28, journalist Fina Nasrom of Astro Arena channel continued to confirm that the U.23 Malaysia team is currently training with only 20 players and is facing many difficulties in the preparation process.

“The mission of restoring Malaysia’s dignity at the 2025 SEA Games is not as easy as coach Nafuzi Zain said. The U.23 Malaysia squad does not have many outstanding players, not to mention that the whole team currently has too little time to bond together,” commented Mr. Fina Nasrom.

U.23 Malaysia sets very high goals at SEA Games 33

PHOTO: DONG NGUYEN KHANG

Meanwhile, when contacted by Astro Arena channel, U.23 Malaysia captain Ubaidullah Shamsul Fazili expressed his determination: “SEA Games 33 will be the last chance to prove the ability of U.23 Malaysia. We need to win and will not repeat the mistakes we made in the U.23 Asia qualifiers.”

"U.23 Malaysia cannot underestimate the quality of the U.23 Laos and U.23 Vietnam squads. Success at the SEA Games can boost the football spirit of both Malaysian players and fans. The mission of U.23 Malaysia is to play football and bring the best results. We will try our best. Especially, when meeting U.23 Vietnam, we cannot lose," added Ubaidullah Shamsul Fazili.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/u23-malaysia-vang-loat-tru-cot-tran-gap-lao-doi-truong-fazili-nhac-ve-u23-viet-nam-185251128121839817.htm