Malaysia national football team facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Malaysia

Nickname(s)	Harimau Malaya (Malayan Tiger)
Association	Football Association of Malaysia
Confederation	AFC (Asia)
Sub-confederation	AFF (Southeast Asia)
Head coach	Pau Martí Vicente
Captain	Dion Cools
Most caps	Soh Chin Ann (195)
Top scorer	Mokhtar Dahari (89)
Home stadium	Bukit Jalil National Stadium
FIFA code	MAS
First colours Second colours
FIFA ranking
Current	167 (7 February 2019)
Highest	75 (8 August 1993)
Lowest	178 (15 March 2018)
Elo ranking
Current	173 10 (3 March 2019)
Highest	61 (1 March 1977)
Lowest	185 (September 2018)
First international
Malaysia 1–1 Thailand  (Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; 12 October 1963)
Biggest win
Malaysia 11–0 Philippines  (Tehran, Iran; 7 September 1974)
Biggest defeat
United Arab Emirates 10–0 Malaysia  (Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates; 3 September 2015)
AFC Asian Cup
Appearances	4 (first in 1976)
Best result	Group stage (1976, 1980, 2007, 2023)
AFF Championship
Appearances	14 (first in 1996)
Best result	Champions (2010)
Medal record Asian Games Bronze 1974 Tehran Team SEA Games Bronze 1969 Myanmar Team Silver 1971 Malaysia Team Bronze 1973 Singapore Team Silver 1975 Thailand Team Gold 1977 Malaysia Team Gold 1979 Indonesia Team Silver 1981 Philippines Team Bronze 1983 Singapore Team Bronze 1985 Thailand Team Silver 1987 Indonesia Team Gold 1989 Malaysia Team

The Malaysia national football team is a group of football players who represent Malaysia in international football games. They are managed by the Football Association of Malaysia. This team is also known as Harimau Malaya, which means "Malayan Tiger." This nickname comes from the Malayan Tiger, a powerful animal found in Malaysia.

Malaysia is one of four teams in Southeast Asia that have won the AFF Championship. The other teams are Singapore, Vietnam, and Thailand. Outside of Southeast Asia, Malaysia's biggest success was winning a bronze medal at the Asian Games in 1974. The team has also played in the Summer Olympics once and in the AFC Asian Cup four times.

History of Malaysian Football

Early Years (1963–1969)

The Malaya football team won the Merdeka Cup in 1958, five years before Malaysia was formed.

Before Malaysia was created on September 16, 1963, different areas like North Borneo (now Sabah), Sarawak, Malaya, and Singapore had their own football teams. The Malaya team won a bronze medal at the 1962 Asian Games. A famous player from that time, Abdul Ghani Minhat, was the first Asian player to score 50 goals for his country.

The North Borneo football team won the first Borneo Cup in 1962, one year before Malaysia was formed.

The first game for the Malaysian football team was on August 8, 1963. It was played at Merdeka Stadium and included players from both Singapore and Malaya. They played against Japan and lost 3–4. After Singapore left Malaysia in 1965, the team was mostly made up of players from West Malaysia. From 1966 to 1970, Chow Chee Keong was named the best goalkeeper in Asia for five years in a row by the Asian Football Confederation.

Olympic and Asia Competitions (1970–1980)

Malaysia playing against South Korea in a qualifying match for the 1972 Summer Olympics in 1971.

In 1971, James Wong from Sabah became the first player from East Malaysia to join the national team. Malaysia qualified for the 1972 Olympics in Munich. They beat strong teams like Japan and South Korea to get there. At the Olympics, they won one game against the United States (3–0) but lost two others, finishing 10th overall.

Malaysian goalkeeper Wong Kam Fook playing against West Germany at the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich.

Mokhtar Dahari became a legendary player for Malaysia starting in 1972. He scored an amazing 89 goals in 142 games against other national teams. This made him one of the world's top goal scorers at that time. Another record-breaker was Soh Chin Ann, who played 195 games for Malaysia, making him one of the most capped male footballers in history.

In 1974, Malaysia won their second bronze medal at the Asian Games by beating North Korea 2–1. The team also played in the AFC Asian Cup twice in a row, in 1976 and 1980. They also won the Merdeka Tournament four times in the 1970s. Malaysia qualified for the 1980 Olympics in Moscow, but the Malaysian government decided not to send the team as a protest.

1976 AFC Asian Cup

Malaysia played in the 1976 AFC Asian Cup for the first time. They were in Group A with Kuwait and China. Malaysia finished third in their group after losing to Kuwait and drawing with China.

1980 AFC Asian Cup

Malaysia's second Asian Cup appearance was in 1980. They were in Group B with South Korea, Kuwait, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates. They drew with South Korea and Qatar, and won against the United Arab Emirates. They finished third in their group.

Tough Times (1990–2009)

The Malaysian team (yellow) playing a friendly match against New Zealand in 2006.

In 1994, Malaysian football faced a big problem with bribery scandals. This made it hard for the team to do well. Even with new coaches, Malaysia struggled to qualify for major tournaments like they did in the 1970s and 1980s.

In 2007, Malaysia co-hosted the 2007 AFC Asian Cup. However, their performance was disappointing, as they lost all their matches. After this, the coach, Norizan Bakar, was replaced by B. Sathianathan. Although Sathianathan led the team to win the 2007 Merdeka Tournament, Malaysia still couldn't qualify for the World Cup.

In the 2008 AFF Championship, Malaysia was knocked out in the group stage for the first time in 12 years. This was a tough period for the team.

FA Premier League Asia Cup (2003)

In 2003, Malaysia hosted the 2003 FA Premier League Asia Cup. They played against famous English clubs like Chelsea and Birmingham City. Malaysia lost both matches, finishing fourth in the tournament.

AFF Championship Victory (2010)

Fahmi

Muslim

Fadhli

Asraruddin

Sabre

Safiq

Amar

Kunanlan

Ashari

Norshahrul

Safee

The starting team for the 2010 AFF Championship final, where Malaysia became champions.

In 2009, K. Rajagopal became the new coach. He also coached the Malaysia under-23 team. Rajagopal led the under-23 team to win their fifth SEA Games gold medal.

During the 2010 AFF Championship, many young players (under 23) were on the Malaysian team. They lost their first game to Indonesia but then drew with Thailand and beat Laos. They reached the semi-finals and beat Vietnam. In the final, they faced Indonesia again.

Malaysia won the first leg of the final 3–0 at home. The Bukit Jalil National Stadium was completely full! In the second leg in Jakarta, Malaysia lost 1–2, but they won the championship with a total score of 4–2. This was Malaysia's first-ever AFF Championship title and a big moment for the team.

Stagnation (2011–2022)

After their big win in 2010, people hoped for more success, but the team struggled to achieve new highs. Coaches changed often, and Malaysia faced some tough losses, including a 0–10 defeat to the United Arab Emirates, which was their worst loss ever.

In the 2018 AFF Championship, Malaysia reached the final again but lost to Vietnam. Even though they didn't win, the team showed improvement, and new young players gave hope for the future.

The COVID-19 pandemic in 2021 affected the team's performance. Many key players were unavailable, leading to more losses. After failing to reach the semi-finals of the 2020 AFF Championship, coach Tan Cheng Hoe resigned.

Rise of Harimau Malaya (2022–present)

In 2022, Kim Pan-gon from Korea became Malaysia's new coach. Under him, Malaysia started to improve. They won friendly matches against the Philippines, Brunei, and Hong Kong.

In the 2023 AFC Asian Cup qualifiers, Malaysia won against Turkmenistan and Bangladesh, and despite a loss to Bahrain, they qualified for the 2023 AFC Asian Cup for the first time in 42 years (not counting 2007 when they were hosts). This success helped Malaysia's FIFA ranking go up.

At the end of 2022, Malaysia continued their good form in the 2022 AFF Championship. They beat Myanmar, Laos, and Singapore, reaching the semi-finals. They won the first leg against Thailand but lost the second, missing out on the final. Still, 2022 was a great year for the team, and their FIFA ranking continued to rise.

In 2023, Malaysia had more friendly wins and their FIFA ranking reached its highest point in 17 years (137th in the world). They also played in the 2023 Merdeka Tournament, reaching the final but losing to Tajikistan.

2023 AFC Asian Cup

Malaysia went to the 2023 AFC Asian Cup with high hopes. They were in a tough group with Jordan, Bahrain, and South Korea. They lost their first two matches. However, in their final group game against strong South Korea, Malaysia surprised everyone. They drew 3–3, scoring a last-minute goal! This was a memorable result and earned Malaysia their first point in the Asian Cup since 1980.

2026 FIFA World Cup Qualification

In the World Cup qualifiers, Malaysia faced Oman, Kyrgyzstan, and Chinese Taipei. They won against Chinese Taipei and drew with Kyrgyzstan, but it wasn't enough to move forward in the World Cup qualifiers.

Coach Kim Pan-gon Resigns

On July 16, 2024, Kim Pan-gon resigned as Malaysia's head coach due to personal reasons. Assistant coach Pau Martí Vicente took over as the temporary coach.

Team Look and Feel

Media Coverage

You can watch Malaysia's football matches live on TV channels like Astro Arena and RTM. They broadcast games with both English and Malaysian commentary.

Kits

Kit provider	Period	Ref
none	1963–1974
Adidas	1975–1977
Umbro	1978
Adidas	1979–2006
Nike	2007–

2010 AFF Cup Final 2nd leg kit

Malaysia's team kits have been made by different companies over the years. Since 2007, Nike has been the official kit maker. The home kit has black and yellow stripes, which look like the stripes of a tiger. This design is a nod to the Malayan national team's kits from the 1920s.

For the 2010 AFF Championship, Nike Malaysia designed a special kit. It had the Malaysian flag as its logo instead of the Football Association of Malaysia logo. Underneath the flag, it said "Tanah Tumpahnya Darahku" (The land that I spill my blood for), which is a line from the Malaysian National Anthem. This was to show the players' dedication to their country. In late 2016, new kits were introduced with the FAM logo back on them.

Grounds

Home Stadium The main home stadium for the Malaysian national team is the Bukit Jalil National Stadium. It can hold 87,411 people, making it one of the largest football stadiums in the world! Before this stadium was built, the team played at the Merdeka Stadium.

When the Bukit Jalil National Stadium is being fixed or used for other events, the team plays at other stadiums like Sultan Ibrahim Stadium and Sultan Mizan Zainal Abidin Stadium.

Malaysia national football team home stadiums
Image	Stadium	Capacity	Location	Last match
National Stadium Bukit Jalil	Bukit Jalil National Stadium	87,500	Bukit Jalil, Kuala Lumpur	v   Chinese Taipei (11 June 2024; 2026 FIFA WC Qualifiers)
Kuala Lumpur Stadium	Kuala Lumpur Stadium	18,000	Cheras, Kuala Lumpur	v   Maldives (14 December 2022; Friendly)
Sultan Mizan Zainal Abidin Stadium	Sultan Mizan Zainal Abidin Stadium	50,000	Kuala Nerus, Terengganu	v   Papua New Guinea (20 June 2023; Friendly)
Sultan Ibrahim Stadium	Sultan Ibrahim Stadium	40,000	Iskandar Puteri, Johor	v   Hong Kong (28 March 2023; Friendly)

Training Ground

The main training place for the Malaysia national football team is at Wisma FAM in Kelana Jaya, Selangor. This is also the main office for the Football Association of Malaysia. It has rooms for meetings and even small apartments for players during training camps.

Supporters

The passionate Ultras Malaya supporters at the 2014 AFF Championship final.

The main group of supporters for the national team is called Ultras Malaya. They are known for their strong passion and support for the team. At every international match, they stand together in the supporters' area. Their main colors are black and yellow, just like the team's kit. They often bring drums and large national flags to the stadiums to cheer on their team.

Sponsorship

The Football Association of Malaysia has many sponsors. These include companies like Bank Islam, Malaysia Airlines, Nike, Telekom Malaysia, 100plus, Wonda Coffee, and Milo. These sponsors help support the team.

Team Officials

Coaching History

List of Head Coaches
Name	Period	GP	W	D	L	GS	GA	GD	Win %
Peter Velappan	1963
Choo Seng Quee	1963 – 1964	&&&&&&&&&&&&&011.&&&&&011	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&03.&&&&&03	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&03.&&&&&03	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&05.&&&&&05	&&&&&&&&&&&&&023.&&&&&023	&&&&&&&&&&&&&023.&&&&&023	+0	&&&&&&&&&&&&&027.27000027.27
Otto Westphal	1965 – 1966	&&&&&&&&&&&&&012.&&&&&012	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&01.&&&&&01	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&04.&&&&&04	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&07.&&&&&07	&&&&&&&&&&&&&011.&&&&&011	&&&&&&&&&&&&&025.&&&&&025	−14	&0&&&&&&&&&&&&&&08.3300008.33
Clement De Silva	1966
Peter Velappan	1966
Nagalingam Rajoo	1967
Dettmar Cramer	1967
Edwin Dutton	1967
Harold Hassall	1968
Peter Velappan	1968
Abdul Ghani Minhat	1969	&&&&&&&&&&&&&011.&&&&&011	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&05.&&&&&05	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&02.&&&&&02	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&04.&&&&&04	&&&&&&&&&&&&&018.&&&&&018	&&&&&&&&&&&&&018.&&&&&018	+0	&&&&&&&&&&&&&045.45000045.45
Harold Hassall	1970
Dave MacLaren	1970
C. Arasaratnam	1971	&&&&&&&&&&&&&039.&&&&&039	&&&&&&&&&&&&&021.&&&&&021	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&06.&&&&&06	&&&&&&&&&&&&&012.&&&&&012	&&&&&&&&&&&&&081.&&&&&081	&&&&&&&&&&&&&061.&&&&&061	+20	&&&&&&&&&&&&&053.85000053.85
Jalil Che Din	1972	&&&&&&&&&&&&&026.&&&&&026	&&&&&&&&&&&&&013.&&&&&013	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&03.&&&&&03	&&&&&&&&&&&&&010.&&&&&010	&&&&&&&&&&&&&041.&&&&&041	&&&&&&&&&&&&&034.&&&&&034	+7	&&&&&&&&&&&&&050.&&&&&050.00
Tam Sitwa	1973	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&00.&&&&&00	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&00.&&&&&00	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&00.&&&&&00	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&00.&&&&&00	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&00.&&&&&00	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&00.&&&&&00	+0	!—
M. Kuppan	1973	&&&&&&&&&&&&&027.&&&&&027	&&&&&&&&&&&&&012.&&&&&012	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&07.&&&&&07	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&08.&&&&&08	&&&&&&&&&&&&&041.&&&&&041	&&&&&&&&&&&&&028.&&&&&028	+13	&&&&&&&&&&&&&044.44000044.44
Jalil Che Din	1974	&&&&&&&&&&&&&018.&&&&&018	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&08.&&&&&08	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&04.&&&&&04	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&06.&&&&&06	&&&&&&&&&&&&&035.&&&&&035	&&&&&&&&&&&&&030.&&&&&030	+5	&&&&&&&&&&&&&044.44000044.44
M. Kuppan	1974 – 1977	&&&&&&&&&&&&&082.&&&&&082	&&&&&&&&&&&&&036.&&&&&036	&&&&&&&&&&&&&024.&&&&&024	&&&&&&&&&&&&&022.&&&&&022	&&&&&&&&&&&&0154.&&&&&0154	&&&&&&&&&&&&&090.&&&&&090	+64	&&&&&&&&&&&&&043.90000043.90
Chow Kwai Lam	1978	&&&&&&&&&&&&&022.&&&&&022	&&&&&&&&&&&&&011.&&&&&011	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&03.&&&&&03	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&08.&&&&&08	&&&&&&&&&&&&&040.&&&&&040	&&&&&&&&&&&&&035.&&&&&035	+5	&&&&&&&&&&&&&050.&&&&&050.00
Karl-Heinz Weigang	1979 – 1982	&&&&&&&&&&&&&067.&&&&&067	&&&&&&&&&&&&&021.&&&&&021	&&&&&&&&&&&&&021.&&&&&021	&&&&&&&&&&&&&025.&&&&&025	&&&&&&&&&&&&&096.&&&&&096	&&&&&&&&&&&&&089.&&&&&089	+7	&&&&&&&&&&&&&031.34000031.34
M. Chandran	1982 – 1983	&&&&&&&&&&&&&014.&&&&&014	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&06.&&&&&06	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&01.&&&&&01	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&07.&&&&&07	&&&&&&&&&&&&&015.&&&&&015	&&&&&&&&&&&&&017.&&&&&017	−2	&&&&&&&&&&&&&042.86000042.86
Frank Lord	1983 – 1985	&&&&&&&&&&&&&037.&&&&&037	&&&&&&&&&&&&&017.&&&&&017	&&&&&&&&&&&&&011.&&&&&011	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&09.&&&&&09	&&&&&&&&&&&&&063.&&&&&063	&&&&&&&&&&&&&036.&&&&&036	+27	&&&&&&&&&&&&&045.95000045.95
Mohamad Bakar	1985 – 1986	&&&&&&&&&&&&&013.&&&&&013	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&04.&&&&&04	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&03.&&&&&03	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&06.&&&&&06	&&&&&&&&&&&&&017.&&&&&017	&&&&&&&&&&&&&024.&&&&&024	−7	&&&&&&&&&&&&&030.77000030.77
Jozef Vengloš	1986 – 1987	&&&&&&&&&&&&&013.&&&&&013	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&06.&&&&&06	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&03.&&&&&03	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&04.&&&&&04	&&&&&&&&&&&&&021.&&&&&021	&&&&&&&&&&&&&013.&&&&&013	+8	&&&&&&&&&&&&&046.15000046.15
Abdul Rahman Ibrahim	1987	&&&&&&&&&&&&&010.&&&&&010	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&01.&&&&&01	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&04.&&&&&04	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&05.&&&&&05	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&08.&&&&&08	&&&&&&&&&&&&&012.&&&&&012	−4	&&&&&&&&&&&&&010.&&&&&010.00
Richard Bate	1988	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&05.&&&&&05	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&01.&&&&&01	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&02.&&&&&02	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&02.&&&&&02	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&04.&&&&&04	&&&&&&&&&&&&&010.&&&&&010	−6	&&&&&&&&&&&&&020.&&&&&020.00
M. Chandran	1988	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&04.&&&&&04	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&01.&&&&&01	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&01.&&&&&01	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&02.&&&&&02	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&04.&&&&&04	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&06.&&&&&06	−2	&&&&&&&&&&&&&025.&&&&&025.00
Trevor Hartley	1989	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&08.&&&&&08	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&06.&&&&&06	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&00.&&&&&00	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&02.&&&&&02	&&&&&&&&&&&&&014.&&&&&014	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&05.&&&&&05	+9	&&&&&&&&&&&&&075.&&&&&075.00
Ahmad Shafie	1990	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&04.&&&&&04	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&00.&&&&&00	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&01.&&&&&01	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&03.&&&&&03	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&00.&&&&&00	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&07.&&&&&07	−7	&0&&&&&&&&&&&&&&00.&&&&&00.00
Rahim Abdullah	1991	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&06.&&&&&06	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&01.&&&&&01	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&01.&&&&&01	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&04.&&&&&04	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&07.&&&&&07	&&&&&&&&&&&&&012.&&&&&012	−5	&&&&&&&&&&&&&016.67000016.67
Ken Worden	1992 – 1993	&&&&&&&&&&&&&017.&&&&&017	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&05.&&&&&05	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&06.&&&&&06	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&06.&&&&&06	&&&&&&&&&&&&&026.&&&&&026	&&&&&&&&&&&&&022.&&&&&022	+4	&&&&&&&&&&&&&029.41000029.41
Claude Le Roy	1994 – 1995	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&05.&&&&&05	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&01.&&&&&01	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&01.&&&&&01	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&03.&&&&&03	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&06.&&&&&06	&&&&&&&&&&&&&010.&&&&&010	−4	&&&&&&&&&&&&&020.&&&&&020.00
Hatem Souisi	1995	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&06.&&&&&06	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&02.&&&&&02	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&01.&&&&&01	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&03.&&&&&03	&&&&&&&&&&&&&012.&&&&&012	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&08.&&&&&08	+4	&&&&&&&&&&&&&033.33000033.33
Wan Jamak Wan Hassan	1996 – 1997	&&&&&&&&&&&&&022.&&&&&022	&&&&&&&&&&&&&010.&&&&&010	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&06.&&&&&06	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&06.&&&&&06	&&&&&&&&&&&&&035.&&&&&035	&&&&&&&&&&&&&018.&&&&&018	+17	&&&&&&&&&&&&&045.45000045.45
Hatem Souisi	1998	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&04.&&&&&04	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&00.&&&&&00	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&02.&&&&&02	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&02.&&&&&02	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&01.&&&&&01	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&04.&&&&&04	−3	&0&&&&&&&&&&&&&&00.&&&&&00.00
Abdul Rahman Ibrahim	1998 – 2000	&&&&&&&&&&&&&029.&&&&&029	&&&&&&&&&&&&&015.&&&&&015	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&03.&&&&&03	&&&&&&&&&&&&&011.&&&&&011	&&&&&&&&&&&&&056.&&&&&056	&&&&&&&&&&&&&044.&&&&&044	+12	&&&&&&&&&&&&&051.72000051.72
Allan Harris	2001 – 2004	&&&&&&&&&&&&&031.&&&&&031	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&07.&&&&&07	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&07.&&&&&07	&&&&&&&&&&&&&017.&&&&&017	&&&&&&&&&&&&&038.&&&&&038	&&&&&&&&&&&&&057.&&&&&057	−19	&&&&&&&&&&&&&022.58000022.58
K. Rajagopal	2004C	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&04.&&&&&04	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&00.&&&&&00	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&02.&&&&&02	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&02.&&&&&02	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&01.&&&&&01	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&05.&&&&&05	−4	&0&&&&&&&&&&&&&&00.&&&&&00.00
Bertalan Bicskei	2004 – 2005	&&&&&&&&&&&&&018.&&&&&018	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&09.&&&&&09	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&01.&&&&&01	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&08.&&&&&08	&&&&&&&&&&&&&028.&&&&&028	&&&&&&&&&&&&&027.&&&&&027	+1	&&&&&&&&&&&&&050.&&&&&050.00
Norizan Bakar	2005 – 2007	&&&&&&&&&&&&&018.&&&&&018	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&04.&&&&&04	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&05.&&&&&05	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&09.&&&&&09	&&&&&&&&&&&&&023.&&&&&023	&&&&&&&&&&&&&028.&&&&&028	−5	&&&&&&&&&&&&&022.22000022.22
B. Sathianathan	2007 – 2008	&&&&&&&&&&&&&013.&&&&&013	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&05.&&&&&05	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&04.&&&&&04	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&04.&&&&&04	&&&&&&&&&&&&&029.&&&&&029	&&&&&&&&&&&&&019.&&&&&019	+10	&&&&&&&&&&&&&038.46000038.46
K. Rajagopal	2009 – 2013	&&&&&&&&&&&&&052.&&&&&052	&&&&&&&&&&&&&014.&&&&&014	&&&&&&&&&&&&&015.&&&&&015	&&&&&&&&&&&&&023.&&&&&023	&&&&&&&&&&&&&065.&&&&&065	&&&&&&&&&&&&&076.&&&&&076	−11	&&&&&&&&&&&&&026.92000026.92
Ong Kim Swee (caretaker)	2014	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&03.&&&&&03	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&01.&&&&&01	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&02.&&&&&02	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&00.&&&&&00	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&02.&&&&&02	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&01.&&&&&01	+1	&&&&&&&&&&&&&033.33000033.33
Dollah Salleh	2014 – 2015	&&&&&&&&&&&&&018.&&&&&018	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&04.&&&&&04	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&04.&&&&&04	&&&&&&&&&&&&&010.&&&&&010	&&&&&&&&&&&&&019.&&&&&019	&&&&&&&&&&&&&046.&&&&&046	−27	&&&&&&&&&&&&&022.22000022.22
Ong Kim Swee	2015 – 2017	&&&&&&&&&&&&&021.&&&&&021	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&07.&&&&&07	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&06.&&&&&06	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&08.&&&&&08	&&&&&&&&&&&&&020.&&&&&020	&&&&&&&&&&&&&027.&&&&&027	−7	&&&&&&&&&&&&&033.33000033.33
Nelo Vingada	2017	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&07.&&&&&07	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&00.&&&&&00	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&01.&&&&&01	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&06.&&&&&06	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&06.&&&&&06	&&&&&&&&&&&&&016.&&&&&016	−10	&0&&&&&&&&&&&&&&00.&&&&&00.00
Tan Cheng Hoe	2017 – 2022	&&&&&&&&&&&&&040.&&&&&040	&&&&&&&&&&&&&020.&&&&&020	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&04.&&&&&04	&&&&&&&&&&&&&016.&&&&&016	&&&&&&&&&&&&&074.&&&&&074	&&&&&&&&&&&&&053.&&&&&053	+21	&&&&&&&&&&&&&050.&&&&&050.00
Kim Pan-gon	2022 – 2024	&&&&&&&&&&&&&035.&&&&&035	&&&&&&&&&&&&&019.&&&&&019	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&07.&&&&&07	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&09.&&&&&09	&&&&&&&&&&&&&074.&&&&&074	&&&&&&&&&&&&&037.&&&&&037	+37	&&&&&&&&&&&&&054.29000054.29
Pau Martí Vicente (caretaker)	2024 – present	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&02.&&&&&02	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&02.&&&&&02	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&00.&&&&&00	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&01.&&&&&01	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&03.&&&&&03	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&05.&&&&&05	−2	&&&&&&&&&&&&0100.&&&&&0100.000

Players

Current Squad

Here are the players who were called up for the friendly matches in November 2024.

No.	Pos.	Player	Date of birth (age)	Caps	Goals	Club
1	1GK	Azri Ghani	(1999-04-30) 30 April 1999 (age 26)	2	0	Kuala Lumpur City
16	1GK	Syihan Hazmi	(1996-02-22) 22 February 1996 (age 29)	28	0	Johor Darul Ta'zim
23	1GK	Haziq Nadzli	(1998-01-06) 6 January 1998 (age 27)	1	0	Perak
3	2DF	Safwan Mazlan	(2002-02-22) 22 February 2002 (age 23)	3	0	Terengganu
4	2DF	Daniel Ting	(1992-12-01) 1 December 1992 (age 32)	11	1	Sabah
5	2DF	Azam Azmi	(2001-02-12) 12 February 2001 (age 24)	13	0	Terengganu
6	2DF	Dominic Tan	(1997-03-12) 12 March 1997 (age 28)	34	0	Sabah
21	2DF	Dion Cools	(1996-06-04) 4 June 1996 (age 29)	30	4	Buriram United
22	2DF	Ubaidullah Shamsul	(2003-11-30) 30 November 2003 (age 21)	0	0	Terengganu
24	2DF	Harith Haiqal	(2002-06-22) 22 June 2002 (age 23)	3	1	Selangor
25	2DF	Adib Raop	(1999-10-25) 25 October 1999 (age 25)	3	1	Penang
8	3MF	Stuart Wilkin	(1998-03-12) 12 March 1998 (age 27)	24	5	Sabah
10	3MF	Ezequiel Agüero	(1994-04-07) 7 April 1994 (age 31)	13	3	Sri Pahang
14	3MF	Syamer Kutty Abba	(1997-10-01) 1 October 1997 (age 27)	39	2	Penang
15	3MF	Nooa Laine	(2002-11-22) 22 November 2002 (age 22)	11	0	Selangor
17	3MF	Paulo Josué	(1989-03-13) 13 March 1989 (age 36)	19	6	Kuala Lumpur City
26	3MF	Zhafri Yahya	(1994-09-25) 25 September 1994 (age 30)	1	0	Kuala Lumpur City
7	4FW	Haqimi Azim	(2003-01-06) 6 January 2003 (age 22)	8	1	Terengganu
9	4FW	Fergus Tierney	(2003-03-19) 19 March 2003 (age 22)	2	0	Chonburi
11	4FW	Safawi Rasid	(1997-03-05) 5 March 1997 (age 28)	66	22	Terengganu
13	4FW	Fazrul Amir	(2000-02-27) 27 February 2000 (age 25)	2	0	Kelantan Darul Naim
19	4FW	Akhyar Rashid	(1999-05-01) 1 May 1999 (age 26)	56	10	Terengganu
20	4FW	Syafiq Ahmad	(1995-06-28) 28 June 1995 (age 29)	40	10	Kedah Darul Aman

Recent Call-ups

These players were part of the national team in the last year but are not in the current squad.

Pos.	Player	Date of birth (age)	Caps	Goals	Club	Latest call-up
GK	Azim Al-Amin	(2001-09-20) 20 September 2001 (age 23)	0	0	Selangor	v. New Zealand, 14 Oct 2024
GK	Kalamullah Al-Hafiz	(1995-07-30) 30 July 1995 (age 29)	1	0	Selangor	v. Lebanon, 8 Sep 2024
GK	Sikh Izhan	(2002-03-23) 23 March 2002 (age 23)	1	0	Penang	v. Chinese Taipei, 11 June 2024
DF	Matthew Davies	(1995-02-07) 7 February 1995 (age 30)	55	0	Johor Darul Ta'zim	v. Laos, 14 Nov 2024 WD
DF	Feroz Baharudin	(2000-04-02) 2 April 2000 (age 25)	5	0	Johor Darul Ta'zim	v. Laos, 14 Nov 2024 WD
DF	La'Vere Corbin-Ong	(1991-04-22) 22 April 1991 (age 34)	40	4	Johor Darul Ta'zim	v. New Zealand, 14 Oct 2024
DF	Shahrul Saad	(1993-07-08) 8 July 1993 (age 31)	58	5	Johor Darul Ta'zim	v. Chinese Taipei, 11 June 2024
DF	Declan Lambert	(1998-09-21) 21 September 1998 (age 26)	2	0	Kuala Lumpur City	v. Chinese Taipei, 11 June 2024
DF	Sharul Nazeem	(1999-11-16) 16 November 1999 (age 25)	8	0	Selangor	v. Oman, 26 March 2024
DF	Syahmi Safari	(1998-02-05) 5 February 1998 (age 27)	26	1	Johor Darul Ta'zim	2023 AFC Asian Cup INJ
DF	Junior Eldstål	(1991-09-16) 16 September 1991 (age 33)	23	0	Johor Darul Ta'zim	2023 AFC Asian Cup INJ
DF	Khuzaimi Piee	(1993-11-11) 11 November 1993 (age 31)	9	0	Selangor	2023 AFC Asian Cup
DF	V. Ruventhiran	(2001-09-24) 24 September 2001 (age 23)	9	0	Selangor	2023 AFC Asian Cup PRE
MF	Mukhairi Ajmal	(2001-11-07) 7 November 2001 (age 23)	12	0	Selangor	v. Laos, 14 Nov 2024 INJ
MF	Natxo Insa	(1986-06-09) 9 June 1986 (age 39)	2	0	Johor Darul Ta'zim	v. Laos, 14 Nov 2024 INJ
MF	Endrick	(1995-03-07) 7 March 1995 (age 30)	16	0	Ho Chi Minh City	v. New Zealand, 14 Oct 2024 INJ
MF	Afiq Fazail	(1994-09-29) 29 September 1994 (age 30)	7	0	Johor Darul Ta'zim	v. Lebanon, 8 Sep 2024
MF	Brendan Gan	(1988-06-03) 3 June 1988 (age 37)	37	1	Kuala Lumpur City	v. Chinese Taipei, 11 June 2024
MF	Aliff Izwan	(2004-02-10) 10 February 2004 (age 21)	1	0	Selangor	v. Oman, 21 March 2024 PRE
FW	Arif Aiman	(2002-05-04) 4 May 2002 (age 23)	32	7	Johor Darul Ta'zim	v. Laos, 14 Nov 2024 WD
FW	Romel Morales	(1997-08-23) 23 August 1997 (age 27)	8	2	Johor Darul Ta'zim	v. Laos, 14 Nov 2024 INJ
FW	Darren Lok	(1990-12-14) 14 December 1990 (age 34)	36	6	Sabah	v. New Zealand, 14 Oct 2024 INJ
FW	Shamie Iszuan	(1995-09-10) 10 September 1995 (age 29)	5	0	Kuching City	v. Chinese Taipei, 11 June 2024
FW	Engku Nur Shakir	(1998-10-16) 16 October 1998 (age 26)	1	0	Terengganu	v. Chinese Taipei, 11 June 2024
FW	Faisal Halim	(1998-01-07) 7 January 1998 (age 27)	34	15	Selangor	v. Oman, 26 March 2024
FW	Mohamadou Sumareh	(1994-09-20) 20 September 1994 (age 30)	33	7	Johor Darul Ta'zim	2023 AFC Asian Cup
Notes INJ = Player withdrew from the current squad due to injury. PRE = Preliminary or stand-by squad. RET = Player has retired from national team. WD = Player withdrew from the current squad due to a non-injury issue.

Player Records

Players in bold are still playing for Malaysia. This list does not include players who played for Malaya (1948–1962).

Most Appearances

Soh Chin Ann has played the most games for Malaysia, with 195 appearances.

Top Goalscorers

Mokhtar Dahari is Malaysia's top scorer with 89 goals.

Competitive Record

     Champion       Runners-up       Third place        Fourth place  

FIFA World Cup

Malaysia has never qualified for the FIFA World Cup finals.

Competition				Total
FIFA World Cup	0	0	0	0

Olympic Games

Malaysia has played in the Summer Olympics once.

Competition				Total
Olympic Games	0	0	0	0

AFC Asian Cup

Malaysia has played in the AFC Asian Cup four times.

Competition				Total
AFC Asian Cup	0	0	0	0

ASEAN Championship

Malaysia has won the AFF Championship once.

ASEAN Championship record Year Round Position Pld W D* L GF GA 1996 3 Runners-up 2nd of 10 6 3 2 1 18 4 1998 3 Group stage 6th of 8 3 0 1 2 0 3 2000 3 Third place 3rd of 9 6 4 1 1 12 4 2002 3 Fourth place 4th of 9 5 2 1 2 9 5 2004 3 Third place 3rd of 10 7 5 0 2 14 9 2007 3 Fourth place 4th of 8 5 1 3 1 6 3 2008 3 Group stage 5th of 8 3 1 0 2 5 6 2010 3 Champions 1st of 8 7 3 2 2 12 8 2012 3 Fourth place 4th of 8 5 2 1 2 7 7 2014 3 Runners-up 2nd of 8 7 3 1 3 13 12 2016 Group stage 5th of 8 3 1 0 2 3 4 2018 Runners-up 2nd of 10 8 3 3 2 11 8 2020 Group stage 6th of 10 4 2 0 2 8 8 2022 Semi-finals 3rd of 10 6 4 0 2 11 7 2024 To be determined Total Appearances: 15 Best: 1st 75 34 15 26 129 88

ASEAN Championship History First Match Singapore  1–1  Malaysia (1 September 1996; Kallang, Singapore) Last Match Malaysia  0–3  Thailand (10 January 2023; Kallang, Singapore) Biggest Win Malaysia  7–0  Philippines (4 September 1996; Kallang, Singapore) Biggest Defeat Indonesia  5–1  Malaysia (1 December 2010; Jakarta, Indonesia) Best Result Champions in 2010 Worst Result Group stage in 1998, 2008, 2016, 2021

Asian Games

Malaysia has won a bronze medal at the Asian Games.

Asian Games record C Year Round Position Pld W D* L GF GA 1951 See Malaya national football team 1 1954 1958 1962 1966 Group stage 10th of 11 3 0 0 3 1 4 1970 Group stage 10th of 10 3 0 0 3 0 4 1974 Bronze medalists 3rd of 15 7 3 2 2 20 13 1978 Semi-finals 7th of 14 5 2 0 3 4 10 1982 Group stage 14th of 16 3 0 0 3 1 4 1986 15th of 18 3 0 1 2 2 5 1990 12th of 14 2 0 1 1 0 3 1994 11th of 18 4 1 1 2 6 11 1998 Did not enter 2002 – present See Malaysia national under-23 football team 2 Total Appearances: 8 Best: 3rd 30 6 5 19 34 54

Asian Games History First Match Iran  2–0  Malaysia (10 December 1966; Bangkok, Thailand) Last Match Malaysia  1–2  Saudi Arabia (7 October 1994; Hiroshima, Japan) Biggest Win Malaysia  11–0  Philippines (7 September 1974; Tehran, Iran) Biggest Defeat Israel  8–3  Malaysia (3 September 1974; Tehran, Iran) Best Result Bronze medalists in 1974 Worst Result Group stage in 1970

Southeast Asian Games

Malaysia has won three gold medals at the Southeast Asian Games.

Southeast Asian Games record C Year Round Position Pld W D* L GF GA 1959 5 See Malaya national football team 1 1961 5 1963 5 Not held 1965 5 Semi-finals 4th of 5 2 0 0 2 0 4 1967 5 Group stage 5th of 5 2 0 0 2 1 6 1969 5 Bronze medalists S 3rd of 5 3 2 0 1 4 5 1971 5 Silver medalists 2nd of 7 5 4 0 1 16 6 1973 5 Bronze medalists 3rd of 6 4 1 2 1 4 2 1975 5 Silver medalists 2nd of 4 3 1 1 1 3 3 1977 Gold medalists 1st of 7 5 4 0 1 24 3 1979 Gold medalists 1st of 5 5 3 2 0 4 0 1981 Silver medalists 2nd of 6 4 1 2 1 4 5 1983 Bronze medalists 3rd of 7 4 1 2 1 7 3 1985 Bronze medalists 3rd of 6 4 2 2 0 10 3 1987 Silver medalists 2nd of 6 4 1 2 1 4 3 1989 Gold medalists 1st of 8 5 5 0 0 11 2 1991 Group stage 5th of 7 3 1 0 2 2 4 1993 5th of 9 4 2 0 2 13 5 1995 7th of 10 4 1 1 2 9 5 1997 7th of 10 4 2 0 2 5 5 1999 5th of 10 4 2 0 2 10 10 2001 – present See Malaysia national under-23 football team 2 Total Appearances: 18 Best: 1st 69 33 14 22 131 74

Southeast Asian Games History First Match Malaysia  0–2  Burma (18 December 1965; Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia) Last Match Brunei  0–2  Malaysia (6 August 1999; Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei) Biggest Win Malaysia  9–0  Laos (30 July 1993; Singapore) Malaysia  9–0  Cambodia (10 December 1995; Chiang Mai, Thailand) Biggest Defeat Indonesia  6–0  Malaysia (12 August 1999; Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei) Best Result Champions in 1977, 1979, 1989 Worst Result Group stage in 1967

• ^* : Draws include knockout matches decided by penalty shoot-out.
• ¹ : The team was known as Malaya national football team before Malaysia was formed.
• ² : The team was represented by the Malaysia national under-23 football team for these competitions.
• ³ : These are not official FIFA international matches.
• ⁵ : This competition was previously called the Southeast Asian Peninsular Games (SEAP Games).
• ^B : Malaysia qualified but chose not to play in the tournament.
• ^C : These matches are not counted as part of the national team's official record.
• ^Q : Qualified for the final round of the tournament.
• ^S : Shared the medal with another team.

Notes:

• A red border means the tournament was held in Malaysia.

FIFA Ranking

Malaysia's FIFA ranking changes over time. Their highest rank was 75th in 1993, and their lowest was 178th in 2018.

Honours

Continental

• Asian Games
  • Bronze medal (1): 1974

Regional

• AFF Championship
  • Champions (1): 2010
  • Runners-up (3): 1996, 2014, 2018
  • Third place (2): 2000, 2004
• Southeast Asian Games
  • Gold medal (3): 1977, 1979, 1989
  • Silver medal (4): 1971, 1975, 1981, 1987
  • Bronze medal (4): 1969, 1973, 1983, 1985

Friendly Tournaments

• Merdeka Tournament
  • Champions (8): 1968, 1973, 1974, 1976, 1979 (shared), 1986, 1993, 2024
  • Runners-up (7): 1969, 1972, 1975, 1980, 2000, 2008, 2023
• South Vietnam Independence Cup
  • Champions (1): 1971
  • Runners-up (3): 1965, 1966, 1973
• King's Cup
  • Champions (4): 1972, 1976 (shared), 1977 (shared), 1978
  • Runners-up (2): 1973, 2022
  • Third place (2): 1970, 1974
• Jakarta Anniversary Tournament
  • Champions (1): 1970
  • Runners-up (1): 1975
• Korea Cup
  • Third place (1): 1977 (shared)
• Indonesian Independence Cup
  • Champions (1): 1992
• AirMarine Cup
  • Third place (1): 2019
• Tri-Nations Series
  • Runners-up (1): 2022

Summary of Honours

Competition				Total
Asian Games	0	0	1	1
AFF Championship	1	3	2	6
Southeast Asian Games	3	4	4	11
Total	4	7	7	18

Images for kids

• 

  The North Borneo football team won the first Borneo Cup in 1962, one year before Malaysia was formed.

• 

  The Malaya football team won the Merdeka Cup in 1958, five years before Malaysia was formed.

See Also

In Spanish: Selección de fútbol de Malasia para niños

• Malaysia national football team results
• Malaysia national under-23 football team
• Malaysia national under-22 football team
• Malaysia national under-19 football team
• Malaysia national under-16 football team
• Malaysia women's national football team
• Malaysia national futsal team
• Malaysia women's national futsal team
• Malaysia League XI
• Football Association of Malaysia
• List of Malaysia footballers born outside Malaysia