JDT defender Muhammad Feroz aims to rebuild his self-assurance following a year-long ACL injury layoff as he returns to Harimau Malaya duty.

JOHOR Darul Ta’zim defender Muhammad Feroz Baharudin is focused on rebuilding his confidence after a challenging year-long recovery from an anterior cruciate ligament injury.

The 25-year-old returned to action in January but admits he needs to elevate his performance level for both club and country.

“I feel I need to be more confident and do more to show good performance to the coach as well as my teammates at JDT, who support me every day during training sessions,” he said in a FAM video statement.

Muhammad Feroz has played nine matches since his comeback against Negeri Sembilan FC on January 9.

He acknowledged the difficulty of his recovery process and now emphasises careful preparation before matches.

His return to form has been rewarded with a recall to the national team for Malaysia’s final Asian Cup qualifier against Vietnam.

He last featured for Harimau Malaya in a friendly against Laos in November 2024.

Malaysia will face Vietnam in Nam Dinh on March 31 with qualification hopes already extinguished.

Vietnam top Group F with 15 points and have secured their place in the 2027 Asian Cup finals.

Malaysia sit second with nine points but received a points deduction from the AFC for fielding an ineligible player.

The AFC Disciplinary and Ethics Committee sanctioned FAM for breaches in matches against Nepal and Vietnam.

This ended Malaysia’s bid for a second consecutive Asian Cup qualification on merit.

Laos and Nepal are third and fourth in the group with three points each.

Despite the circumstances, Muhammad Feroz is determined to uphold national pride in the final qualifier.

“Besides being determined to deliver his best performance against Vietnam, the 25-year-old is also resolute in ensuring Malaysia’s pride remains intact,” the statement concluded.

 The Sun Malaysia