KUALA LUMPUR, March 19— Negeri Sembilan FC striker Luqman Hakim Shamsudin has been recalled to the national team for their last Group F fixture against Vietnam in the 2027 Asian Cup Qualifiers at the Thien Truong Stadium in Nam Dinh on March 31.
The Malaysian national team posted on Facebook today that the former teen sensation is among five strikers called up, alongside Mohamad Faisal Abdul Halim, naturalised player Paulo Josue, Muhammad Ramadhan Saifullah Usman and Muhammad Safawi Rasid.
This could pave the way for the 24-year-old Luqman Hakim to don the Harimau Malaya jersey once more, having last featured for the national team in a friendly against Singapore in March 2022.
Harimau Malaya head coach Peter Cklamovski has also called up two new faces - defenders Muhammad Feroz Baharudin and Muhammad Syahmi Safari.
Cklamovski’s men are scheduled to begin centralised training camp on Monday (March 23), and the national team are expected to undergo a one-day training session here before continuing their preparations in Bangkok, prior to leaving for Vietnam.
Vietnam are on the verge of qualifying for the 2027 Asian Cup Finals, leading Group F with 15 points, followed by Malaysia (nine points). Laos and Nepal each have three points and are placed third and fourth in the group.
Only the top team in the group will qualify for the Asian Cup Finals in Saudi Arabia from Jan 7 to Feb 5, 2027.
Malaysia’s hopes of featuring on merit for the second successive time in the Asian Cup Finals were dashed after they were docked points by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC).
On Tuesday (March 17), the AFC Disciplinary and Ethics Committee found that the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) had breached Article 56 of the AFC Disciplinary and Ethics Code for fielding an ineligible player in two Asian Cup 2027 qualifying matches against Nepal and Vietnam.
The sanction imposed by the AFC follows the decision of the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), which upheld FIFA’s ruling on the violation of rules regarding player documentation. — Bernama
