Latest news with #ZulhilmiSharani
The Sun
22-07-2025
- Sport
- The Sun
Malaysia U23 team exits AFF Cup after draw with Indonesia
THE Malaysian Under-23 football team's journey in the 2025 AFF U23 Championship ended after a goalless draw against Indonesia in their final Group A match at Gelora Bung Karno Stadium. The result left them third in the group, missing out on a semifinal spot. Despite the elimination, head coach Nafuzi Zain commended his players for their resilience, particularly goalkeeper Zulhilmi Sharani, who made crucial saves to deny Indonesia. 'Congratulations to all players who displayed a high degree of fighting spirit. Taking on Indonesia in front of thousands of their fans isn't easy, but the players managed to rein in their emotions and play with confidence,' he said. Nafuzi acknowledged the team's gradual improvement, noting that many players were new to international competition. 'We changed our approach in the first half to defend and wait to counterattack, before piling on the pressure in the second half in hopes for a goal,' he explained. Though disappointed with the early exit, he remained optimistic about future tournaments. 'I'm proud of the increased performance by the team. We will now focus on the U23 Asian Cup qualifiers,' he added. The match saw seven yellow cards issued, three for Malaysia and four for Indonesia, reflecting the intense battle on the field. Indonesia topped Group A with seven points, followed by the Philippines (six points), Malaysia (four points), and Brunei (zero points). - Bernama
Barnama
21-07-2025
- Sport
- Barnama
National U23 Team Out Of 2025 AFF U23 Cup After Goaless Draw With Indonesia
JAKARTA, July 21 (Bernama) -- The national Under 23 (U23) football team's hopes of advancing to the semifinal of the 2025 U23 Championship ended after they were held to a goalless draw against Indonesia in their last Group A match at Gelora Bung Karno Stadium tonight. Despite tonight's result, coach Nafuzi Zain expressed pride towards his charges, especially the defence, singling out goalkeeper Zulhilmi Sharani for his excellent performance in fending off Indonesia's constant attacks and keeping a clean sheet. 'Congratulations to all players who displayed a high degree of fighting spirit. Taking on Indonesia in front of thousands of their fans isn't easy, but the players managed to rein in their emotions and play with confidence, without hesitation,' he said after the match. bootstrap slideshow He stressed that the young squad had improved from match to match, especially since many of them were playing for the first time at the international level. 'We changed our approach in the first half to defend and wait to counterattack, before piling on the pressure in the second half in hopes for a goal. 'I'm a bit disappointed to not be going to the semifinal, but overall, I'm proud of the increased performance by the team,' he said, adding that the squad would fully focus on the U23 Asian Cup qualifiers after this. The experience would also be valuable, he pointed out, and promised to raise the team's maturity and physical aspects. The match was a fiercely contested affair, with seven yellow cards shown by Japanese referee Takasaki Koji, three to Malaysia and four to Indonesia. The draw means that Indonesia tops Group A with seven points, followed by the Philippines (six points), Malaysia (four points) and Brunei last without a single point.
The Sun
25-06-2025
- Sport
- The Sun
ASEAN Under-23 Cup: Harimau Muda target semis
THE National Under-23 football squad are targeting to advance to the semi-finals of the 2025 ASEAN Football Federation (AFF) Under-23 Cup tournament to be held in Jakarta, from July 15 to 29. Head coach Mohd Nafuzi Zain said that to realise this ambition, the Harimau Muda squad are required to gain three full points in each match of the Group A competition against the Philippines on July 15, followed by Brunei (July 18), before closing the group stage against Indonesia (July 21). 'For the current situation, we are more focused on game by game, especially starting with the crucial match against the Philippines. After that, we face Brunei and the toughest challenge will be up against hosts Indonesia. 'So we are aiming to qualify for the semi-finals but have to get through the group stage first. The semi-finals will give us space to scheme and reach the final,' he told a press conference to announce the list of 30 players picked for Harimau Muda's centralised training, here today. Nineteen of the 26 players who were gathered after the Elite Games match yesterday were called to join the camp which will start on July 1. The players will join 11 existing players in the National Under-23 squad, including Zulhilmi Sharani and Muhammad Faris Danish Mohd Asrul from Johor Darul Ta'zim II (JDT II) as well as Abdul Rahman Daud and Muhammad Alif Izwan Yuslan from Selangor FC. Meanwhile, Nafuzi hopes the players called up, who pack the average experience of Super League action, can help the squad realise that target. The top two teams from each group will advance to the semi-finals scheduled for July 25, while the third-place match and final will take place on July 29.
