Malaysia midfield crisis, coach Tan Cheng Hoe remains optimistic when facing Vietnam national team

The departure of Wan Kuzain to the US means coach Tan Cheng Hoe has limited choices in midfield for the ASEAN Cup semi-final first leg on August 16 against the reigning champions Vietnam.

Malaysia's midfield crisis has worsened at the worst possible time, as Wan Kuzain Wan Ahmad Kamal left the team's camp to return to the US before the ASEAN Cup semi-final first leg against Vietnam.

The 28-year-old midfielder returned to the US after being recalled by his club Sporting JAX, giving interim coach Tan Cheng Hoe another headache as Malaysia prepares to face the defending champions at the Kuala Lumpur Football Stadium.

Wan Kuzain's departure comes as Malaysia already faced personnel difficulties in midfield, with naturalized player Endrick Dos Santos still recovering from an injury sustained in the 4-0 win over Laos in the second match of Group B.

The situation became even more complicated when midfielder Aliff Haiqal Lokman Hakim Lau suffered an injury in Malaysia's final group stage match against Philippines last Saturday.

With Wan Kuzain now unavailable and several midfielders carrying injuries, Mr. Tan Cheng Hoe faces the difficult task of rebuilding the midfield against a Vietnam team expected to pose a much tougher challenge.

The 58-year-old coach admitted that Wan Kuzain's departure, coupled with injury issues, has left Malaysia short of options in a key area of the pitch. However, he insisted that the team's morale remains very high.

"Wan Kuzain returned to the US on Sunday after playing against Philippines on Saturday. Currently, we are having problems in midfield, as Aliff Haiqal is also injured.

The situation has certainly weakened us, especially in midfield, while two or three other players are also carrying injuries. When Wan Kuzain had to return to the US, we will definitely miss the qualities that these players bring.

However, as a coach, I have to stay positive and come up with the best possible plan with the players available. What I observe is that the team's motivation remains very high ahead of the match against Vietnam", Scoop.

Wan Kuzain's departure is particularly notable because his influence grew during Malaysia's ASEAN Cup campaign, while the Kuala Lumpur Football Stadium is also where he had one of his most memorable moments in the Malaysia national team jersey.

The midfielder scored his first international goal at this very stadium with a beautiful free kick in Malaysia's 4-0 thrashing of Laos.

After that, he was given his first start of the tournament in the match against Philippines and played a key role in the build-up to the only goal of the game.

Malaysia eventually won 1-0, with G Pavithran scoring in the 16th minute, thereby sending the national team to the semi-finals.

However, now Malaysia must find a way to adapt without a midfielder who was becoming increasingly important, just as the tournament enters its decisive phase.

The semi-final first leg against Vietnam will take place at the Kuala Lumpur Football Stadium on Sunday, August 16, before the second leg is held at My Dinh Stadium (Vietnam).