PETALING JAYA: For national wingback Dion Cools (pic), football has always been about focus and just ignoring the noise around him.

And right now, there’s plenty of that surrounding the national team.

As Malaysia prepare to face Nepal in their Asian Cup 2027 third-round qualifier at the National Stadium in Bukit Jalil on Tuesday, uncertainty looms large following FIFA’s suspension of seven mixed heritage players from the national squad.