KUALA LUMPUR – Things seem to be moving in the right direction for Wan Kuzain Wan Ahmad Kamal as he prepares to renounce his American citizenship to pursue a spot on Malaysia’s national football team.
The 25-year-old currently plays for St. Louis City 2, based in Missouri, United States, and has long desired to represent Harimau Malaya after missing out on an opportunity to play for the US.
Born in Illinois, he trained with and represented the US at the under-17 level from 2013 to 2015 and gained experience with the Dutch Eredivisie club Feyenoord in 2015.
Kuzain is eligible to represent Malaysia due to his Malaysian parentage, with both his parents being Malay.
However, his commitment to the Malaysian national team faced scrutiny in the past.
In November 2019, Kuzain was called up to train with Malaysia’s under-23 national team under Datuk Ong Kim Swee ahead of the 2019 SEA Games in Manila but was excluded due to citizenship documentation issues.
Speaking to Scoop, Machang MP Wan Ahmad Fayhsal Wan Ahmad Kamal, Kuzain’s elder brother, said that he has advised him to return to Malaysia promptly to finalise his documentation and pursue his dream.
“The last time I spoke with my father, I was informed that Kuzain is prepared to give up his American citizenship to get on the national team radar.
“However, the current challenge is that Kuzain needs to be in Malaysia to complete the nationality acquisition process.
“As his brother, I want to see him fulfil his dream, and I have advised him to return to Malaysia promptly so we can expedite his documentation process.
“Unfortunately, it will be difficult while he is in the midst of his season in the US. We’ll have to wait until it concludes before he can return to Malaysia.
“Until then, it will be challenging for him to get noticed by the national team,” Wan Fayhsal said when contacted.
Wan Fayhsal also disclosed that there have been no discussions between Kuzain and local football clubs about starting his career in Malaysia.
Previously, Kuzain’s commitment to the national team was questioned by Brad Maloney, former head coach of Harimau Muda (2020-2022).
It was reported that the Australian coach urged him to resolve his issues and commit to national duty, comparing him to Luqman Hakim Shamsudin, who played for Belgium-based club KV Kortrijk at the time.
The football community also debated naturalised player Lee Tuck’s return to England to focus on his property investment business last year under Unified Property Ltd. – June 30, 2024