Malaysia midfielder Wan Kuzain Wan Kamal will miss the remainder of the ASEAN Hyundai Cup after his United States club, Sporting JAX, recalled him ahead of their upcoming domestic fixture.
Interim Malaysia head coach Tan Cheng Hoe confirmed Wan Kuzain’s withdrawal when asked whether the midfielder would be unavailable for the semi-final against Vietnam.
“Yes,” Cheng Hoe said.
A reliable source within the national team also confirmed that the 27-year-old had been called back by his club.
The Football Association of Malaysia has yet to issue a formal statement explaining the circumstances behind his departure, but Cheng Hoe’s confirmation means Wan Kuzain will not feature in Malaysia’s semi-final campaign.
His absence comes as a blow to Harimau Malaya after the midfielder emerged as one of the team’s standout performers in the tournament.
Wan Kuzain made his senior international debut in Malaysia’s 2-1 victory over Myanmar before scoring his first international goal in the 4-0 win against Laos. He curled a free-kick into the net during only his second appearance for the national side.
His departure adds to Malaysia’s growing list of unavailable players. Endrick Dos Santos, Jimmy Raymond, Fazrul Amir Zaman and Aliff Haiqal Lau are also understood to have been ruled out for the rest of the tournament, while Engku Shakir Engku Yacob remains a doubt.
Engku Shakir could potentially return for the second leg in Hanoi depending on his recovery, while Mohamadou Sumareh is also a doubt after failing to regain full fitness.
The mounting absences leave Cheng Hoe with difficult selection decisions ahead of Malaysia’s first-leg semi-final against Vietnam at KLFA Stadium on Sunday. Malaysia secured their place in the last four after finishing second in Group B.
Wan Kuzain’s departure is particularly significant given how much impact he made after finally receiving his opportunity at senior international level.
The Illinois-born midfielder joined Sporting JAX in January as part of the club’s inaugural USL Championship squad and reportedly travelled more than 30 hours to join Malaysia for the tournament.
Sporting JAX are scheduled to face Indy Eleven in the USL Championship on Saturday, which has prompted the club to call the midfielder back.
Wan Kuzain’s contract with Sporting JAX is listed as running until November 30, according to Transfermarkt.
