According to information from Malaysian newspapers, midfielder Wan Kuzain Wan Kamal has returned to the US and will not continue to accompany the Malaysian team at this year's tournament. This decision has been officially announced.
Wan Kuzain currently plays for Sporting JAX at the USL Championship, the 2nd division of the US. This midfielder once left his mark on Malaysia's journey in the group stage, including an important assist to help the team overcome the Philippines.
The absence of Wan Kuzain makes the personnel problem of interim coach Tan Cheng Hoe more difficult. Previously, Malaysia did not have the services of Endrick Dos Santos, Jimmy Raymond and Engku Nur Shakir Engku Yacob due to injury.
Notably, according to records at the most recent training session, the Malaysian team only has 16 players left to train normally. The continuous loss of players has significantly affected the preparation process for the semi-final match with the Vietnamese team.
The first leg of the ASEAN Cup 2026 semi-final between Malaysia and Vietnam takes place on August 16th at Kuala Lumpur Stadium. Three days later, the two teams will play the second leg at My Dinh Stadium.
ASEAN Cup 2026 takes place from July 24 to August 26 with 10 teams divided into two groups. The Vietnamese team is in Group A with Indonesia, Singapore, Cambodia and Timor-Leste. Group B includes Thailand, Malaysia, Philippines, Myanmar and Laos.
The Vietnamese team entered the tournament as defending champions. Coach Kim Sang-sik and his team set a goal to participate in the final and successfully defend the ASEAN Cup crown.
