MFL Challenge Cup
The MFL Challenge Cup (Malay: Piala Cabaran MFL), previously referred to as the Malaysia Challenge Cup, is a football tournament in Malaysia that is organized jointly by the Malaysian Football League (MFL) and the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM). The tournament serves as a secondary-tier cup competition for teams that are eliminated during the round of 16 of the Malaysia Cup.
 | |
| Founded | August 2018 |
|---|---|
| Region | Malaysia |
| Teams | 8 |
| Current champions | Selangor (1st title) |
| Most championships | Terengganu II Johor Darul Ta'zim II PDRM Selangor (1 title each) |
| Broadcaster | Astro Arena |
| Website | www.footballmalaysia.com |
 2026 MFL Challenge Cup | |
The MFL Challenge Cup (Malay: Piala Cabaran MFL), previously referred to as the Malaysia Challenge Cup, is a football tournament in Malaysia that is organized jointly by the Malaysian Football League (MFL) and the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM). The tournament serves as a secondary-tier cup competition for teams that are eliminated during the round of 16 of the Malaysia Cup.
History
[edit]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][2] The inaugural tournament was held in 2018, with eight teams divided into 2 groups of four and playing a double round-robin system. The winners and runners-up of each group qualify to the knockout stage. The tournament is held concurrently with the Malaysia Cup, with Challenge Cup games mostly played in midweek.[3][4]
Competition format
[edit]Selection of teams
[edit]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] From 2020 until 2023 it was not held due to COVID-19 pandemic.[6][7] The FAM announced its return in 2023, featuring 8 teams eliminated in the last 16 of the 2023 Malaysia Cup.[8]
Knockout stage
[edit]From the quarterfinals to the final stage of the competition, the matches are conducted in a two-legged format, with each team playing one match at home and another away.
Results
[edit]List of finals
[edit]| Season | Home team | Score | Away team | Venue | Attendance | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 6–5 on penalties | ||||||
| 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 | ||||||
| 2024–25 | Selangor | 3–0 | PDRM | Petaling Jaya Stadium, Petaling Jaya | 3,768 | [15] |
| PDRM | 0–4 | Selangor | Petaling Jaya Stadium, Petaling Jaya | 2,232 | [16] | |
| Selangor won 7–0 on aggregate | ||||||
Performance by team
[edit]The table shown performances by the six teams who reached the final stage of the MFL Challenge Cup.
| Team | Winners | Runners-up | Seasons won | Seasons runners-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PDRM | 1 | 1 | 2023 | 2024–25 |
| Terengganu II | 1 | 0 | 2018 | — |
| Johor Darul Ta'zim II | 1 | 0 | 2019 | — |
| Selangor | 1 | 0 | 2024–25 | — |
| UKM FC | 0 | 2 | — | 2018, 2019 |
| Kuching City | 0 | 1 | — | 2023 |
Records and statistics
[edit]Final
[edit]- Most titles: 1
- Most appearances in final: 2
- Most defeats in final: 2, UKM FC (2018, 2019)
- Biggest win in final: PDRM 0–4 Selangor (2024–25)
- Most goals in final: 4
Winning coaches
[edit]| Season | Coach | Team |
|---|---|---|
| 2018 |  Mustaffa Kamal
|
Terengganu II |
| 2019 |  Ervin Boban
|
Johor Darul Ta'zim II |
| 2023 | Yunus Alif
|
PDRM |
| 2024–25 |  Katsuhito Kinoshi
|
Selangor |
Top goalscorers
[edit]| Season | Player | Team | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 |  Michael Chukwubunna Ijezie
|
UKM FC | 13 |
| 2019 | Bruno Suzuki
|
Terengganu II | 6 |
| Mateo Roskam
|
UKM FC | ||
 Milad Zanidpour
| |||
| 2023 | Uche Agba
|
PDRM | 5 |
| 2024–25 |  Ronnie Fernández
|
Selangor | 4 |
Awards
[edit]Player of the tournament
[edit]Officially known as MASKargo Player of the tournament for sponsorship reasons, it is awarded to the overall best player of the season.
| Season | Player | Team |
|---|---|---|
| 2024–25 | Ronnie Fernández
|
Selangor |
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ "FMLLP organise Challenge Cup remedy". Goal.com. Retrieved 4 September 2018.
- ^ "Challenge Cup a chance Premier League redemption silverware". FourFourTwo.com. Archived from the original on 4 September 2018. Retrieved 4 September 2018.
- ^ "Malaysia Challenge Cup 2018". Goal.com. Retrieved 4 September 2018.
- ^ "Malaysia Cup slot for Challenge Cup champions in future". Stadium Astro. Retrieved 4 September 2018.
- ^ "Eight teams play Challenge Trophy". NST.com. Retrieved 4 September 2018.
- ^ Singh, Ajitpal (2020-05-05). "Save the Malaysia Cup from becoming 'painful'". New Straits Times. Archived from the original on 2022-09-28.
- ^ "2021 Challenge Cup cancelled due to Covid-19 pandemic, says MFL CEO". 14 September 2021.
- ^ Bernama (26 January 2023). "Thrilling affair in store after vital changes to M-League calendar". www.thesundaily.my. Retrieved 30 January 2023.
- ^ "FAM - CMS". cms.fam.org.my. Retrieved 2023-12-04.
- ^ "FAM - CMS". cms.fam.org.my. Retrieved 2023-12-04.
- ^ "FAM - CMS". cms.fam.org.my. Retrieved 2023-12-04.
- ^ "FAM - CMS". cms.fam.org.my. Retrieved 2023-12-04.
- ^ "FAM - CMS". cms.fam.org.my. Retrieved 2023-12-04.
- ^ "FAM - CMS". cms.fam.org.my. Retrieved 2023-12-04.
- ^ "FAM - CMS". cms.fam.org.my. Retrieved 2025-02-16.
- ^ "FAM - CMS". cms.fam.org.my. Retrieved 2025-02-23.
