Nafuzi Zain criticized after Malaysia U-23 failure in ASEAN Cup

Nafuzi Zain, the Malaysia U-23 national team coach, is facing a wave of criticism following his team’s disappointing performance in the ASEAN Cup U-23 2025.

Harimau Malaya only managed to collect four points from three matches — with the most painful defeat coming from their main rivals, Indonesia U-23, in a crucial game.

Despite undergoing an extensive training camp and several friendly matches, the team under the former Kedah Darul Aman FC coach failed to display convincing gameplay.

Malaysian fans expressed their disappointment through the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) Instagram social media — these results are increasingly concerning as the team will soon face the U-23 Asian Cup 2026 qualifiers.