PETALING JAYA: All it took was one goal for national footballer Wan Kuzain Wan Ahmad Kamal to prove himself to the home supporters in the Hyundai AFF Cup at the Kuala Lumpur Football Stadium.
Despite facing controversy in the months leading up to his debut, the 27-year-old came on as a substitute and added the cherry on top of a resounding 4-0 victory over Laos.
And the win saw Malaysia moving top of Group B on Tuesday.
“To score in my second cap, is truly what dreams are made of.
“So if I’m still asleep, don’t wake me up right now,” said Kuzain, who is playing for MLS’s Sporting Club Jacksonville, United States.
“I flew over 30 hours for this. I knew it wouldn’t be easy.
“So if I get five, 15, or 90 minutes - I’m happy to be here to continue my journey with Malaysian football.”
Kuzain scored a sublime freekick in the 84th minute, sealing Malaysia’s win.
Earlier, captain Paulo Josue, who scored twice in Harimau Malaya’s 2-1 win over Myanmar in their opener on Saturday, started the ball rolling by scoring just before the half time ended.
Endrick dos Santos doubled Malaysia’s lead with a close range finish on the 57th minute before an own goal by Viengxay Sitdavong put interim coach Tan Cheng Hoe’s men three up.
Prior to this tournament, the American-born Wan Kuzain was poised to play for the country at the 2019 SEA Games in the Philippines.
Unfortunately, he was dropped at the last minute due to MLS club St. Louis City 2 blocking his move.
Kuzain, who expressed his gratitude for his debut Harimau Malaya goal, said he was initially hesitant to take the shot but saw an opportunity when the goalkeeper moved to his right.
“I saw the goalkeeper was ‘cheating’ a bit. I think he thought I was going to cross it. So I decided to just give it a go,” he said.
Kuzain, who gained popularity initially as a YouTube sensation, will be hoping that he has done enough in his last two cameos to impress Cheng Hoe to secure a start in the team’s next match against Thailand in Bangkok on Aug 1.
“It’s going to be a lot of fun. It’s the first match for me where the level of opposition is equal,” he said.
“There’s a lot of history too, so I’m glad to play my part. It should be a great game.”
