PETALING JAYA: For national wingback Dion Cools (pic), football has always been about focus and just ignoring the noise around him.
And right now, there’s plenty of that surrounding the national team.
As Malaysia prepare to face Nepal in their Asian Cup 2027 third-round qualifier at the National Stadium in Bukit Jalil on Tuesday, uncertainty looms large following FIFA’s suspension of seven mixed heritage players from the national squad.
The global body issued the suspension last month, citing incomplete verification processes involving documentation for players with dual nationalities - a move that left the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) scrambling to resolve the matter.
But amidst the chaos, one man remains calm and collected – Cools, the Malaysian-born with Belgian-Malaysian roots who has quietly become one of Harimau Malaya’s most influential leaders.
Since making his debut in 2021, the 29-year-old has been a model of consistency and maturity.
Now with 35 international appearances and six goals, he continues to serve as both defensive and attacking anchor and locker room mentor.
“The foundation is still there,” said Cools.
“Most of the players from the last camp are still part of the squad and our main focus now is on Nepal.
“Our ultimate goal is to qualify for the Asian Cup. We’ve done good work so far and we want to keep building on that.”
The suspension has undoubtedly disrupted Malaysia’s plans but Cools’ steady leadership has helped maintain calm within the camp.
His message to teammates has been clear – control what you can.
“Of course, we can only control what’s within our power,” he said.
“The players and staff are just doing our job – staying disciplined, training hard, and focusing on winning.”
