ASEAN All-Stars head coach Kim Sang-sik is grappling with a growing selection dilemma ahead of the team’s highly anticipated friendly against Manchester United, set to take place on May 28th.
Four key players—Thailand’s Nicholas Mickelson, Malaysian duo Dominic Tan and Ezequiel Aguero, and Indonesia’s Muhammad Ferarri—have been forced to withdraw from the squad due to scheduling conflicts and club commitments. The withdrawals have left Sang-sik, who also serves as the head coach of the Vietnam national team, urgently seeking replacements as preparations for the showcase event ramp up.
Mickelson, who plays for Danish side OB Odense, was barred from participating by his club. The friendly match falls just four days after the final round of Denmark’s 1st Division season, with Odense currently locked in a promotion battle to return to the top tier following last season’s relegation.
Ferarri’s exclusion came at the request of Persija Jakarta head coach Carlos Peña. With the 2024/25 Liga 1 Indonesia season wrapping up on May 24th, the Macan Kemayoran—currently among the league’s top five—are keen to maintain their momentum in the final five matches of the campaign.
In Malaysia, the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) also declined to release Dominic Tan and Ezequiel Aguero for the All-Stars. Both players are slated to participate in the national team’s training camp, which coincides with the All-Stars’ preparations. Harimau Malaya are set to face Vietnam in a pivotal 2027 AFC Asian Cup qualifier on June 10th, prompting FAM to prioritize their availability for the national cause.
Despite the setback, FAM President Datuk Joehari Ayub offered a partial reprieve. While only one of the three originally requested players—Perak FC goalkeeper Haziq Nadzli—was cleared to join the All-Stars, Joehari provided a list of five potential replacements, all of whom have prior experience with the national team.
“The AFF did request three of our national team players to participate, but at the same time we’re also preparing for our Asian Cup qualifiers,” Joehari told CNN Indonesia. “Out of the three, we only gave permission to one. We also gave a list of five alternative players to be chosen from, all of whom are of the highest quality, such as Ahmad Khuzaimi Piee.”
Among the candidates, 31-year-old defender Khuzaimi Piee is being considered a like-for-like replacement for Dominic. He recently completed the 2024/25 season with Selangor FC, although his involvement was minimal—featuring in just four of the club’s 26 league matches and logging only 42 minutes. Once a regular under former national team coach Kim Pan-gon, Khuzaimi did not make any appearances in either domestic or continental cup competitions this season.
With just under a month to go before the clash with Ruben Amorim’s Man United side, Sang-sik still has time to complete his squad. Call-ups for players from the Philippines, Singapore, and Australia have yet to be finalized, leaving room for further additions to what promises to be a star-studded lineup representing Southeast Asia on the global stage.