U23 Malaysia finalizes list for Southeast Asian tournament, retains naturalized players

(Dan Tri) - Despite protests, U23 Malaysia still retains naturalized Scottish player Fergus Tierney, preparing for the 2025 Southeast Asian U23 tournament.

The list of 23 players for the U23 Malaysia team has been announced by coach Nafuzi Zain. The most notable figure on this list is Scottish-born striker Fergus Tierney.

Scottish-born striker Fergus Tierney appears in the list of 23 Malaysian U23 players participating in the 2025 Southeast Asian tournament (Photo: FAM).

However, this is a controversial face in Malaysia. Last season, Fergus Tierney played on loan at Nakhon Pathom United (Thailand). This is just a lower-ranked team in the Land of the Golden Pagoda.

In addition, Fergus Tierney's form is not high. He only played 13 times for Nakhon Pathom United during the last season, scoring only 3 goals.

However, coach Nafuzi Zain still decided to put his faith in this Scottish player, because Malaysian football currently has difficulty separating itself from naturalized players. Players of foreign origin are the hope of Malaysian teams in international tournaments.

List of U23 Malaysia participating in the U23 Southeast Asian tournament (Photo: ASEAN Football).

Another factor that coach Nafuzi Zain needs in Fergus Tierney is the tall physique (1m86) of this player, which can help U23 Malaysia in their strong aerial battles.

Besides Fergus Tierney, some other faces in the U23 Malaysia team, with good physique, include striker Haqimi Azim (1m84), center back Ubaidullah Shamsul (1m82), midfielder Haziq Kutty Abba (1m81)...

They will be the main players playing along the "vertical axis" of the Malaysian U23 team, creating strength for this team.

At the 2025 Southeast Asian U23 tournament, U23 Malaysia is in Group A with Indonesia, Philippines and Brunei. If they pass the group stage, U23 Malaysia can face U23 Vietnam or U23 Thailand in the semi-finals.

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/the-thao/u23-malaysia-chot-danh-sach-du-giai-dong-nam-a-giu-lai-cau-thu-nhap-tich-20250714100153011.htm