Safee Sali facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

In this Malay name, there is no family name. The name Mohd Sali is a patronymic, and the person should be referred to by the given name, Mohd Safee.

Quick facts for kids
Safee Sali

Safee in 2024

Personal information

Full name

Mohd Safee bin Mohd Sali

Date of birth

29 January 1984 (age 41)

Place of birth

Kajang, Selangor, Malaysia

Height

1.72 m (5 ft 71⁄2 in)

Playing position

Forward

Senior career*

Years

Team

Apps^†

(Gls)^†

2003–2005

Kuala Lumpur FA

(20)

2003

→ Telekom Melaka (loan)

(1)

2005–2006

Sarawak FA

(10)

2006–2011

Selangor

(36)

2011–2013

Pelita Jaya

(27)

2013

→ Johor Darul Ta'zim (loan)

(2)

2014–2017

Johor Darul Ta'zim

(4)

2017–2018

PKNS

(9)

2019

Perlis

(0)

2019–2020

Petaling Jaya City

(4)

2021–2022

Kuala Lumpur City

(1)

National team^‡

2004–2010

Malaysia U-23

(14)

2006–2017

Malaysia

(23)

2008–2013

Malaysia XI

(2)

Honours

Men's football

Representing Malaysia
Asean Football Championship
Winner	2010	Team
Runner-up	2014	Team

Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 24 June 2022.

† Appearances (Goals).

‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 24 May 2017

Mohd Safee bin Mohd Sali, born on January 29, 1984, is a famous former Malaysian football player. He played as a forward, which means he was usually trying to score goals! Safee played for many different clubs in Malaysia, like Kuala Lumpur FA, Selangor, and Johor Darul Ta'zim.

In 2011, Safee made history. He became the first Malaysian player to join a team in the Indonesia Super League, playing for Pelita Jaya. He was also a key player for the Malaysian national team from 2006 to 2017. He helped Malaysia win the 2010 AFF Championship and scored many goals in that tournament.

Safee announced he was retiring from professional football on February 21, 2023, when he was 39 years old. He played 76 games for Malaysia and scored 23 goals. In his club career, he scored an amazing 180 goals!

Club Football Journey

Safee played for several football clubs throughout his career. Let's look at some of his most important times with these teams.

Starting with Kuala Lumpur

Safee began his professional career with Kuala Lumpur FA. His coach, Igor Novak, brought him to the team. In his first season, he scored 11 goals, including three goals in one game (a hat-trick) against Perak TKN. This made him the second-best local goal scorer.

He continued to play for Kuala Lumpur, scoring 7 goals in his last season with them. He also helped the team reach the semi-finals of the Malaysia FA Cup in 2005.

Loan to Telekom Melaka

In 2003, Safee was loaned to Telekom Melaka for the Malaysia Cup. He scored one goal for them before returning to Kuala Lumpur.

Time with Sarawak FA

Next, Safee joined Sarawak FA. He was the top local goal scorer for the 2005/06 season with 10 goals. Overall, he scored 19 goals for Sarawak that season, making him their best scorer.

Playing for Selangor FA

In the 2006/2007 season, Safee moved to Selangor. He wore the number 10 jersey, which was special because a famous Malaysian player, Mokhtar Dahari, used to wear it. Safee helped Selangor reach the finals of both the FA Cup and Malaysia Cup, but they lost both games to Kedah FA. He scored 11 goals in his first season with Selangor.

He continued to play well for Selangor, even after an injury in his second season. He scored the winning goal in the 2010 Malaysia Charity Shield against Negeri Sembilan FA. After his great performance in the 2010 AFF Suzuki Cup, Safee decided to join an Indonesian team for new experiences. His last game for Selangor was a 1–1 draw against Kuala Lumpur FA.

Making History with Pelita Jaya

On February 5, 2011, Safee officially moved to Pelita Jaya, an Indonesian Super League team. This was a big deal because he was the first Malaysian player to play in this league! He signed a one-year contract.

Safee quickly made an impact, scoring 7 goals in 13 games in his first season. In October 2011, he was even made captain of Pelita Jaya! He had an amazing game on March 24, 2012, scoring four goals against Gresik United. He finished that season with 20 league goals.

Trial with Cardiff City

In 2011, Safee had the chance to try out for Cardiff City, a team in England's Football League Championship.

Joining Johor Darul Ta'zim

In 2013, Safee returned to Malaysia and joined Johor Darul Ta'zim. He scored two goals in his first pre-season game. In 2015, he played in the 2015 AFC Cup Final and helped his team win 1–0 against Istiklol.

Time with PKNS, Perlis, and PJ City

Safee played for PKNS from 2017 to 2018, scoring 9 goals in 33 games. In 2019, he briefly played for Perlis, but their participation in the league was canceled. He then signed with PJ City.

Returning to Kuala Lumpur City

On December 24, 2020, Safee signed with Kuala Lumpur City. In 2021, he won his first ever Malaysia Cup title after 20 years in his career! His team beat Johor Darul Ta'zim 2–0 in the final. In 2022, Safee became the first Malaysian footballer to play in two AFC Cup finals.

International Career for Malaysia

Safee also had a long and successful career playing for his country, Malaysia, at different levels.

Youth Team Experience

Safee started playing for the Malaysia Under-23 team during the 2004 Olympic Games qualifiers. He played in many games but often came on as a substitute. He also played in the 2005 Pre-South East Asian Games, scoring one goal against the Philippines Under-23 team.

In 2007, Safee became a main striker for the Under-23 team. He helped them win the 2007 Merdeka Tournament and was the top scorer with 4 goals. He also scored 2 goals in the 2007 South East Asian Games. In 2008, he scored all 3 of Malaysia's goals in the 2008 Malaysia Intercontinental Cup. This was his last game with the Malaysia national under-23 team.

Playing for the Senior National Team

After playing well for Sarawak, Safee was called up to the senior national team. He played his first game for Malaysia on February 19, 2006, against New Zealand. He scored his first international goal in his second game, also against New Zealand.

He was part of the Malaysian squad for the 2007 AFC Asian Cup. In 2008, he was the top scorer in the Merdeka Tournament with 5 goals.

In November 2010, Safee was a key player for Malaysia in the 2010 AFF Suzuki Cup. He scored two goals against Vietnam in the semi-finals. Then, he scored two more goals against Indonesia in the first leg of the finals. He scored another goal in the second leg, making him the tournament's top goal scorer with 5 goals. Malaysia won the 2010 AFF Suzuki Cup, which was their first time winning this title!

Safee continued to score in the AFF Championship tournaments in 2012 and 2014, showing his consistent performance for the national team.

Playing for Malaysia XI

Safee also played for the Malaysia XI team in special matches against famous clubs like Arsenal and Liverpool. In 2011, he came on as a substitute against Liverpool and scored 2 goals!

Safee's Playing Style

Safee was known for his aggressive playing style. He was fast and strong, even though he was not the tallest player. His shooting skills made him a regular player for the national team. Safee was also known for scoring amazing goals with long shots and overhead kicks for both Malaysia and Selangor FA.

International Goals

Here are some of the goals Safee scored for the Malaysian national team:

#	Date	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition
1.	23 February 2006	North Harbour Stadium, Auckland, New Zealand	New Zealand	1–1	1–2	Friendly
2.	10 October 2008	Bukit Jalil National Stadium, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia	Pakistan	1–0	4–1	Friendly
3.	15 October 2008	Petaling Jaya Stadium, Petaling Jaya, Malaysia	Nepal	2–0	4–0	2008 Merdeka Tournament
4.	15 October 2008	Petaling Jaya Stadium, Petaling Jaya, Malaysia	Nepal	3–0	4–0	2008 Merdeka Tournament
5.	20 October 2008	Bukit Jalil National Stadium, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia	Afghanistan	5–0	6–0	2008 Merdeka Tournament
6.	23 October 2008	Bukit Jalil National Stadium, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia	Myanmar	2–0	4–0	2008 Merdeka Tournament
7.	6 December 2008	Surakul Stadium, Phuket, Thailand	Laos	1–0	3–0	2008 AFF Suzuki Cup
8.	6 December 2008	Surakul Stadium, Phuket, Thailand	Laos	3–0	3–0	2008 AFF Suzuki Cup
9.	15 December 2010	Bukit Jalil National Stadium, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia	Vietnam	1–0	2–0	2010 AFF Suzuki Cup
10.	15 December 2010	Bukit Jalil National Stadium, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia	Vietnam	2–0	2–0	2010 AFF Suzuki Cup
11.	26 December 2010	Bukit Jalil National Stadium, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia	Indonesia	1–0	3–0	2010 AFF Suzuki Cup
12.	26 December 2010	Bukit Jalil National Stadium, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia	Indonesia	3–0	3–0	2010 AFF Suzuki Cup
13.	29 December 2010	Gelora Bung Karno Stadium, Jakarta, Indonesia	Indonesia	1–0	1–2	2010 AFF Suzuki Cup
14.	23 July 2011	Jalan Besar Stadium, Jalan Besar, Singapore	Singapore	1–0	3–5	2014 FIFA World Cup qualification
15.	23 July 2011	Jalan Besar Stadium, Jalan Besar, Singapore	Singapore	3–4	3–5	2014 FIFA World Cup qualification
16.	28 July 2011	Bukit Jalil National Stadium, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia	Singapore	1–0	1–1	2014 FIFA World Cup qualification
17.	16 November 2011	Salt Lake Stadium, Kolkata, India	India	1–1	2–3	Friendly
18.	16 November 2011	Salt Lake Stadium, Kolkata, India	India	2–3	2–3	Friendly
19.	16 October 2012	Mong Kok Stadium, Mong Kok, Hong Kong	Hong Kong	1–0	3–0	Friendly
20.	14 November 2012	Bukit Jalil National Stadium, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia	Hong Kong	1–0	1–1	Friendly
21.	28 November 2012	Bukit Jalil National Stadium, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia	Laos	2–1	4–1	2012 AFF Suzuki Cup
22.	29 November 2014	National Stadium, Kallang, Singapore	Singapore	1–0	3–1	2014 AFF Suzuki Cup
23.	11 June 2015	Bukit Jalil National Stadium, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia	East Timor	1–0	1–1	2018 FIFA World Cup qualification