| Tournament details | |
|---|---|
| Host country | Malaysia |
| Dates | 4–21 August |
| Teams | 12 |
| Final positions | |
| Champions |  Burma (3rd title) |
| Runners-up |  Indonesia |
| Third place |  South Korea |
| Fourth place |  Taiwan |
| Tournament statistics | |
| Matches played | 37 |
| Goals scored | 126 (3.41 per match) |
← 1969 1972 → | |
The 1971 Merdeka Tournament was held from 4 to 21 August 1971 with 12 participating teams.
| Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Korea Republic XI | 5 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 9 | 1 | +8 | 8 |
| Taiwan | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 8 | 4 | +4 | 7 |
 Malaysia | 5 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 6 | 4 | +2 | 5 |
 South Vietnam | 5 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 8 | 8 | 0 | 4 |
 Japan XI | 5 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 6 | 11 | −5 | 4 |
 Thailand | 5 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 6 | 15 | −9 | 2 |
| Japan XI | 3–2 | Thailand |
|---|---|---|
Matsuhiko Nomura  5'Kiyoshi Tomizawa 39'Yusuke Ohmi 45+1' | Sithiporn Pongsri 43' (pen.) Aummat Chalermchavalit 88' |
| Malaysia | 2–0 | South Vietnam |
|---|---|---|
| Zawawi 28' ? 74' (o.g.) | Report |
| Japan XI | 0–2 | South Vietnam |
|---|---|---|
| Tran Van Xinh 20' Cu Sinh 42' |
| Korea Republic XI | 4–0 | Thailand |
|---|---|---|
| Taiwan | 4–0 | Thailand |
|---|---|---|
| Tsang Keng Hong 20' Chan Chiu Ki 28'Cheung Chi Doy 75'Cheung Tze Wai 80' | Report |
| Korea Republic XI | 3–0 | Japan XI |
|---|---|---|
| Kang Chong-tae 54', 78' Na San-soo 73' |
| Korea Republic XI | 0–1 | Taiwan |
|---|---|---|
| Tsang Kiang Hung 67' (pen.) |
| Taiwan | 3–2 | South Vietnam |
|---|---|---|
| Ho Sun Wah 10' Leung Siu Wah 44'Chan Ciu Ki 82' | Trat Tiet Anh 35' Vo Ba Hung 43' |
| Malaysia | 0–1 | Korea Republic XI |
|---|---|---|
| Report | Kang Chong-tae 86' |
| Korea Republic XI | 1–0 | South Vietnam |
|---|---|---|
| Na Seong-soo 43' |
| Malaysia | 0–2 | Thailand |
|---|---|---|
| Report | Jaroongsak 57' Songthai Sahavatcharin 85' |
| Japan XI | 2–0 | Taiwan |
|---|---|---|
| Yasuke Ohmi 28' Naritaka Hidaka 80' |
| Malaysia | 4–1 | Japan XI |
|---|---|---|
| V. Krishnasamy 20' Yap Eng Kok 48'Bahwandi 54', 76' | N. Hidaka 33' |
| Japan XI | 0–2 | South Vietnam |
|---|---|---|
| Tran Van Xiah 20' Cu Sinh 42' |
| South Vietnam | 4–2 | Thailand |
|---|---|---|
| Vo Ba Hung 4' Cu Sinh 8', 77'Tran Van Kinh 72' | Suchin Kasiwat 15' Nut Romrongvejt 24' |
| Japan XI | 3–2 | Taiwan |
|---|---|---|
| Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Indonesia | 5 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 15 | 4 | +11 | 9 |
| Burma | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 17 | 4 | +13 | 7 |
 Singapore | 5 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 9 | 11 | −2 | 6 |
 Hong Kong | 5 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 5 | 11 | −6 | 4 |
 India | 5 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 10 | 17 | −7 | 3 |
 Philippines | 5 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 7 | 16 | −9 | 1 |
| India | 5–1 | Philippines |
|---|---|---|
| S. Bhowmick 17', 50', 62' Mohammed Habib 38'Shyam Thapa 42' | Report | Thomas Lozano 80' |
| Singapore | 2–1 | Hong Kong |
|---|---|---|
| Quah Kim Lye 30' Chin Yoon Siang 56' | Li Kwok Keung 17' |
| Burma | 0–1 | Singapore |
|---|---|---|
| Dollah Kassim 33' (pen.) |
| India | 1–3 | Indonesia |
|---|---|---|
| Mohammed Habib 42' | Waskito 1', 55', 58' |
| Hong Kong | 2–1 | Philippines |
|---|---|---|
| Tang Hung Cheong 39' Lo Hung Hoi 80' | Report | Martínez 61' |
| Indonesia | 2–2 | Burma |
|---|---|---|
| Abdul Kadir 58', 79' | Win Nyunt 38' Hla Tay 82' |
| India | 2–2 | Singapore |
|---|---|---|
| Amar Bahadur 12' Shyam Thapa 68' | Quah Kim Lye 32' R. Krishnan 88' |
| Indonesia | 3–1 | Philippines |
|---|---|---|
| Waskito 5' Jacob Sihasale 22'Djunaedi Abdillah 70' | Miguel Crame 32' |
| Burma | 4–0 | Hong Kong |
|---|---|---|
| Tin Aung Moe 3', 80' Win Maung 38'Tan Soe 72' |
| Indonesia | 4–0 | Singapore |
|---|---|---|
| Waskito 17', 63', 70' Abdul Kadir 33' |
| Burma | 2–0 | Philippines |
|---|---|---|
| Than Soe 16', 88' |
| India | 1–2 | Hong Kong |
|---|---|---|
| S. Naeemuddin 85' | Wo Kwok Hung 20' Li Kwok 44' |
| Singapore | 4–4 | Philippines |
|---|---|---|
| Quah Kim Lye 16' Dollah 40'Krishnan 56'Ali 71' | Report | Cuena 47' Lozano 52' (pen.), 54'Martínez 61' |
| Japan XI | 1–0 | India |
|---|---|---|
| South Vietnam | 3–1 | Hong Kong |
|---|---|---|
| Tran Tiet Ahn 11' Vo Ba Hung 49'Tran Van Xinh 66' | Report | Li Kwok Keung 15' |
| Malaysia | 4–2 | Singapore |
|---|---|---|
| Salleh Ibrahim 12', 52' Mohsein Alias 50'Rahim Abdullah 76' | Arshad Khamis 34' Quah Kim Lye 83' |
| Indonesia | 1–0 | Taiwan |
|---|---|---|
| Jacob Sihasale 39' |
| Korea Republic XI | 2–0 | Taiwan |
|---|---|---|
| Lee Chung-wee 36', 58' |