TFC defender Shahrul Nizam misses boat to Jordan because of fishing

SEPANG: Defender Muhammad Shahrul Nizam Ros Hashi failed to join the Harimau Malaya squad for their trip to Jordan for two Tier 1 international friendlies because he had gone fishing.

This matter was confirmed by Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) deputy president Datuk Mohd Yuosff Mahadi, who is also the national squad manager.

Mohd Yusoff said he was informed of the status of the 23-year-old Terengganu FC (TFC) player through a telephone call by TFC manager Zulfadli Rozi less than 12 hours before the national team left for Jordan at 3.15 am today.

"Throughout my stint as a manager, I have never come across a player who failed to report for national squad duty. But the TFC manager told me he had gone out to sea (for fishing).

"So, when he (Muhamad Shahrul) was there he could not be contacted. In the afternoon (yesterday), he landed and was also surprised," he said when met at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) early this morning.

Malaysia, ranked 154th in the world, will face Jordan (93rd world ranking) at King Abdullah II Stadium in Amman on Oct 6 and Uzbekistan (world no. 84) at Amman International Stadium on Oct 9.

Earlier, head coach Tan Cheng Hoe confirmed that only 22 players left for Jordan after Muhammad Shahrul failed to be contacted while Sharul Nazeem Zulpakar of Selangor FC had been dropped due to injuries.

Muhammad Shahrul was among three players listed by Cheng Hoe last Thursday to replace key players Dion-Johan Cools (FC Midtjylland), Muhammad Syahmi Safari (Selangor FC) and Muhammad Akhyar Abdul Rashid (Johor Darul Ta'zim), who had been dropped due to injuries.

Muhamad Shahrul was in the TFC starting line-up when they beat Selangor FC 2-1 in Kuala Terengganu last Wednesday in a Group B Malaysia Cup match.

Mohd Yusoff did not rule out the possibility that Muhamad Shahrul might not be aware that his services were needed for the friendlies due to the last-minute call-up.

However, Mohd Yusoff said he was leaving it to the secretariat to review the matter although Zulfadli had requested that no action be taken against Muhamad Shahrul.

"We do not want such an incident to recur in any national squad in the future," he added.

-- BERNAMA