MFL Challenge Cup

Last updated
MFL Challenge Cup
MFL Challenge Cup.png
FoundedAugust 2018;6 years ago (August 2018)
RegionMalaysia
Number of teams8
Current champions PDRM (1st title)
Most successful team(s) Terengganu II
Johor Darul Ta'zim II (1 title)
Television broadcasters Astro Arena
Website www.footballmalaysia.com
Soccerball current event.svg 2024 MFL Challenge Cup

The MFL Challenge Cup (Malay: Piala Cabaran MFL), formerly known as the Malaysia Challenge Cup, is a Malaysian football competition held under the auspices of the Malaysian Football League and the Football Association of Malaysia.

Contents

History

The tournament was created for the Malaysia Super League and the Malaysia Premier League teams that did not qualify for the Malaysia Cup tournament through their league standings. The idea was mooted by the Football Malaysia in December 2017 as a solution to increase the number of competitive games. [1] Observers such as FourFourTwo Malaysia see benefits of the Challenge Cup; as another chance of silverware for the competitors, maintaining the competitive edge between the participating teams, and as a way to analyze players in their teams in preparation for the next season. [2]

The inaugural tournament was held in 2018, with eight teams divided into 2 groups of four and playing a double round-robin system of games. The winners and runners-up of each group qualify to the knockout round on a home and away basis including the final. The tournament is held concurrently with the Malaysia Cup, with Challenge Cup games mostly played in midweek (Tuesday, Wednesday) as opposed to Malaysia Cup games played on weekends (Friday, Saturday and Sunday). [3] [4]

Selection of teams

For the 2018 edition, the team that finished last in the Malaysia Super League, and the sixth-placed to twelfth-placed teams in the Malaysia Premier League qualified for the tournament. [5] The selection of teams remained the same for 2019.

From 2020 until 2023 it was not held, mostly due to COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent restrictions. [6] [7] FAM announced the competition will return in 2023, featuring 8 teams who are eliminated in the last 16 of the 2023 Malaysia Cup. [8]

Results

Finals

List of MFL Challenge Cup finals
YearHome teamScoreAway teamVenueAttendanceRef
2018 UKM FC 2–2 Terengganu II Shah Alam Stadium, Shah Alam 1,485 [9]
Terengganu II 2–0 UKM FC Sultan Ismail Nasiruddin Shah Stadium,

Kuala Terengganu

3,800 [10]
Terengganu II won 4–2 on aggregate
2019 Johor Darul Ta'zim II 1–0 UKM FC Pasir Gudang Corporation Stadium,

Pasir Gudang

4,830 [11]
UKM FC 1–0 Johor Darul Ta'zim II Kuala Lumpur Stadium, Cheras 1,778 [12]
Aggregate 1–1, Johor Darul Ta'zim II won on penalties
2020Cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic in Malaysia
2021
2022Not held
2023 PDRM 3–0 Kuching City Petaling Jaya Stadium, Petaling Jaya 955 [13]
Kuching City 1–1 PDRM Sarawak State Stadium, Kuching 2,000 [14]
PDRM won 4–1 on aggregate

Statistics

TeamWinnersRunners-upYears wonYears runners-up
Terengganu II 10 2018
Johor Darul Ta'zim II 10 2019
PDRM 10 2023
UKM FC 02 2018, 2019
Kuching City 01 2023

Awards

Top scorers

YearPlayerGoalsTeam
2018 Flag of Nigeria.svg Michael Chukwubunna Ijezie 13 UKM
2019 Flag of Croatia.svg Mateo Roskam 6 UKM
Flag of Iran.svg Milad Zanidpour
2023 Flag of Nigeria.svg Uche Agba 5 PDRM

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Football Association of Malaysia</span> Governing body of association football in Malaysia

The Football Association of Malaysia is the national governing body of football in Malaysia. The Football Association of Malaysia headquarters is located at Wisma FAM.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Malaysia Cup</span> Association football tournament in Malaysia

The Malaysia Cup, formerly known as Malaya Cup, is an annual football tournament in Malaysia, held at the end of the calendar year. The cup was first held in 1921. Despite its prestige and popularity as the country's oldest cup tournament, it does not guarantee a place in a continental competition, which is allocated to the Malaysia FA Cup winners. The competition was previously managed by the Football Association of Malaysia, before it was transferred to the Football Malaysia LLP in the 2016 season.

The Malaysian League, also known as the M-League, is a terminology used to describe the professional association football league in Malaysia. The terminology was mainly used to describe the league and its divisions associated within the Malaysian football league system.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Malaysian Football League</span>

The Malaysian Football League, also known simply as the MFL, was created during the course of the privatisation of the Malaysian football league system. It was formerly known as Football Malaysia Limited Liability Partnership (FMLLP). The company operates and runs all entities in Malaysian football under its jurisdiction, which include Liga Super, A1 League, A2 League, A3 League, MFL Cup, Malaysia Cup, Malaysia Challenge Cup, Malaysia FA Cup, Piala Sumbangsih, Piala Emas Raja-Raja, Malaysia Premier Futsal League and Malaysia Futsal Cup. It aims to transform and move Malaysian football forward.

The 2018 Malaysia Cup was the 92nd edition of Malaysia Cup tournament organised by Football Association of Malaysia (FAM). Known as the unifi Malaysia Cup due to the start of a sponsorship deal with unifi.

The 2019 Malaysia Cup was the 93rd edition of Malaysia Cup tournament organised by Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) and Malaysian Football League (MFL).

The 2020 season was Selangor's 15th season in the Super League and their 35th consecutive season in the top flight of Malaysia football. The club also participated in the Malaysia Cup and the FA Cup. During this season, Selangor played all their home fixtures on different venues, following the original ground Shah Alam Stadium was unavailable used due to safety concerns and undergoing renovations.

Perak Football Club II, also named as Perak FC II, is the reserve team of Perak FC, based in Ipoh, in the state of Perak. Founded on 30 July 2015 as part of the sports and recreation club for the Perak State Development Corporation Football Club (PKNP). The club was combined with Perak FC at end of 2019 as one club and was re-branded as a football club to be known as Perak FC. The team formerly known PKNP FC was then converted into a reserve team as part of the feeder club regulations and will begin the 2020 season as a reserve team of Perak FC. and will play in MFL Cup, holding home games at Manjung Stadium.

The 2022 Malaysia Super League, is the 19th season of the Malaysia Super League, the top-tier professional football league in Malaysia for association football clubs since its establishment in 2004, and the 41st season of top-flight Malaysia football overall.

The 2021 Malaysia Cup was the 95th edition of Malaysia Cup tournament organised by the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) and the Malaysian Football League (MFL).

The 2022 Malaysia M3 League season was the 2nd edition of the third tier Malaysia M3 League annual football league staged in Malaysia, since its establishment in 2019. The originally scheduled 2nd edition was cancelled twice due to the complications from COVID-19 and restrictions. 20 teams entered to contest starting on 12 February and ending on 24 September 2022.

The 2022 Malaysia Cup, officially known as the TM Piala Malaysia 2022 for sponsorship reasons, was the 96th edition of Malaysia Cup tournament organised by the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) and the Malaysian Football League (MFL).

The 2023 Malaysia M3 League, known as the 2023 MBSB Bank Championship for sponsorship reasons, was the third season of the MBSB Bank Championship, the second tier football league in Malaysia, since its establishment in 2019. The season lasted from March to October.

The 2023 MFL Cup is the 1st season of the MFL Cup, the reserve football tournament in Malaysia. It is organized by the Malaysian Football League (MFL), after the restructure of Malaysia Premier League, with 15 teams confirmed to participate.

The 2023 Malaysia Cup, officially known as the TM Piala Malaysia 2023 for sponsorship reasons, was the 97th edition of Malaysia Cup tournament organised by the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) and the Malaysian Football League (MFL).

Piala Presiden (Malaysia) 2023 is the 1st season of the Piala Presiden since its inception in 1986. This league is currently for the football league in Malaysia youth level (U21).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">MFL Cup</span> Football league in Malaysia

The MFL Cup is the reserve football tournament in Malaysia, organized by the Malaysian Football League (MFL), with 15 teams confirmed to participate.

The 2023 MFL Challenge Cup is the third edition of Malaysia Challenge Cup tournament organised by Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) and Malaysian Football League (MFL). The tournament began on 18 September and ended on 3 December 2023. The qualified teams will compete on the knockout stage to compete in a two-legged single-elimination tournament beginning with the quarterfinals followed by semi-finals and the final. Each tie is played on a home-and-away two-legged basis. The away goals rule, extra time and penalty shoot-out are used to decide the winner if necessary.

The 2024–25 Malaysia Super League is the 21st season of the Malaysia Super League, the top-tier professional football league in Malaysia since its establishment in 2004, and the 43rd season of top-flight Malaysian football overall.

The 2024 Malaysia FA Cup is the 34th edition of the Malaysia FA Cup, a knockout competition for Malaysian association football clubs. The winners, if eligible, would be assured a place in the 2025–26 AFC Champions League Two group stage.

References

  1. "FMLLP organise Challenge Cup remedy". Goal.com. Retrieved 4 September 2018.
  2. "Challenge Cup a chance Premier League redemption silverware". FourFourTwo.com. Retrieved 4 September 2018.
  3. "Malaysia Challenge Cup 2018". Goal.com. Retrieved 4 September 2018.
  4. "Malaysia Cup slot for Challenge Cup champions in future". Stadium Astro. Retrieved 4 September 2018.
  5. "Eight teams play Challenge Trophy". NST.com. Retrieved 4 September 2018.
  6. Singh, Ajitpal (2020-05-05). "Save the Malaysia Cup from becoming 'painful'". New Straits Times . Archived from the original on 2022-09-28.
  7. "2021 Challenge Cup cancelled due to Covid-19 pandemic, says MFL CEO". 14 September 2021.
  8. Bernama (26 January 2023). "Thrilling affair in store after vital changes to M-League calendar". www.thesundaily.my. Retrieved 30 January 2023.
  9. "FAM - CMS". cms.fam.org.my. Retrieved 2023-12-04.
  10. "FAM - CMS". cms.fam.org.my. Retrieved 2023-12-04.
  11. "FAM - CMS". cms.fam.org.my. Retrieved 2023-12-04.
  12. "FAM - CMS". cms.fam.org.my. Retrieved 2023-12-04.
  13. "FAM - CMS". cms.fam.org.my. Retrieved 2023-12-04.
  14. "FAM - CMS". cms.fam.org.my. Retrieved 2023-12-04.