PETALING JAYA: Youngster Ubaidullah Shamsul Fazili’s (pic) late inclusion into the national Under-23 team is no cause for concern as matches in the Super League have kept his fitness levels up.
The 21-year-old Terengganu defender arrived in Bangkok with the Under-23 squad for their training camp after playing for the Turtles against Brunei last Friday where they won 5-0.
Set to lead the youth team as captain in the 2026 AFC U-23 Asian Cup qualifiers next week in Thailand, Ubaidullah said the hectic Super League schedule has kept his gears turning, ready for battle anytime.
“I’m always ready for any match,” said Ubaidullah.
“Reporting late for the training camp isn’t an issue. I was late because of the ongoing season, and I had matches to play.
“But those matches have definitely helped me maintain my fitness for this upcoming international tournament.
“It’s a challenge, but it’s normal to have only a few days of training when it comes to national call-ups.”
Ubaidullah was one of three key players coach Nafuzi Zain had to wait for to be released by their clubs, which also included Sabah’s Fergus Tierney and Selangor’s Aliff Izwan Yuslan.
Determined to make up for their heartbreaking group stage exit at the AFF U-23 Championships last month, Ubaidullah said the team are not taking things lightly.
“The results from last month were certainly disappointing. But now all the players know our objective.
“We have to take that loss as a painful lesson and bounce back, and I’m confident we will do our best to qualify for the U-23 Asian Cup,” said Ubaidullah.
Malaysia are in Group C with hosts Thailand, Lebanon, and Mongolia.
All matches will be taking place at the BG Stadium in Pathum Thani, with only the group winners earning a ticket to Saudi Arabia next year.
Nafuzi’s boys will take on Lebanon first on Sept 3, followed by Mongolia (Sept 6), before their final group stage match against Thailand (Sept 9).
