PETALING JAYA, March 22 — Malaysia will play against the Philippines today without star player Zaquan Adha because his father, Abdul Radzak Salleh, passed away yesterday.
Zaquan’s eldest brother, Zafran, 43, said their father passed away at the age of 68, from complications of asthma and intestinal problems.
When contacted by phone, national coach Datuk Ong Kim Swee said Malaysia will take the field against the Azkals without Zaquan.
“Zaquan will go home,” said Kim Swee.
“To have lost a father is very hard. Family comes first,” he added.
Zaquan was in Manila with the rest of the national team for the international friendly against the Philippines today.
The initial plan was to use the match as a warm-up for the tie against North Korea (2019 Asian Cup Qualifying Group B match) in Pyongyang scheduled for March 28 before it was postponed to June 8.
It was part of plans to get the players adapted to the artificial pitch at the Rizal Memorial Stadium in Manila as Malaysia will play on a similar type of pitch in Pyongyang if the match is played there.
Meanwhile, Zaquan’s twin brother, Aidil Zafuan, who was in Langkawi for a short vacation, said the family was devastated.
“We lost our father, and my twin brother is on the way home,” said Aidil.
Aidil, a member of the Johor Darul Ta’zim team, was too distraught to comment any further.
