MFL Challenge Cup

Football tournament

MFL Challenge Cup

Founded| August 2018; 6 years ago (August 2018)
Region| Malaysia
Number of teams| 8
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
2024–25 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.

## 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] 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

[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] 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

[edit]

### Finals

[edit]

List of MFL Challenge Cup finals  Year  | 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 on penalties
2020  | Cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic in Malaysia
2021
2022  | Not 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

[edit]

Team  | Winners  | Runners-up  | Years won  | Years runners-up

|
|
|
|

Terengganu II | 1  | 0  | 2018 | —
Johor Darul Ta'zim II | 1  | 0  | 2019 | —
PDRM | 1  | 0  | 2023 | —
UKM FC | 0  | 2  | —  | 2018, 2019
Kuching City | 0  | 1  | —  | 2023

## Awards

[edit]

### Top scorers

[edit]

Year  | Player  | Goals  | Team

|
|
|

2018 |  Michael Chukwubunna Ijezie | 13  | UKM
2019 |  Mateo Roskam | 6  | UKM
Milad Zanidpour
2023 |  Uche Agba | 5  | PDRM

## See also

[edit]

* Malaysia FA Cup
* MFL Cup
* Piala Emas Raja-Raja
* Football in Malaysia

## References

[edit]

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.

* v
* t
* e

Football in Malaysia

History

National teams|

| Current|

* Men's (results)
* Men's U-23 (results)
* Men's U-22 (results)
* Men's U-19 (results)
* Men's U-16
* Women's
* XI
* Futsal (women's)
* Beach Football (women's)

|

Former|

* Harimau Muda (U-22)
* Harimau Muda A (U-22)
* Harimau Muda B (U-21)
* Harimau Muda C (U-19)

League competitions|

| Main league|

* Malaysia Super League (Level 1)
* Malaysia A1 Semi-Pro League (Level 2)
* Malaysia A2 Amateur League (Level 3)
* Malaysia A3 Community League (Level 4–9)
* Malaysia National Women's League (women's)

|

Development League|

* MFL Cup (U-23)
* Piala Presiden (U-21)
* Piala Belia (U-19)

Others|

* Malaysia Premier Futsal League (Men)
* Malaysia Premier Futsal League (Women)

Defunct|

* Malaysian League (Liga Malaysia (1982–1988) (Amateur), Liga Semi-Pro (Divisyen 1 & Divisyen 2), Liga Perdana, Liga Perdana 1 & Liga Perdana 2)
* Malaysia Premier League
* Liga Nasional (Amateur)
* Liga Bolasepak Rakyat

Cup competitions|

| Current|

* Malaysia Cup
* Malaysia FA Cup
* Malaysia Challenge Cup
* Piala Sumbangsih
* Piala Emas Raja-Raja
* Merdeka Tournament
* Piala Tun Sharifah Rodziah (Women's)
* Piala Menteri Pendidikan Tinggi
* Malaysia Futsal Cup

|

Defunct|

* Burnley Cup
* Borneo Cup
* Malaysia FAM Cup

Related|

* 1994 Malaysian football scandal

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* Football Association of Malaysia
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* List of clubs
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* Naturalised and overseas footballers

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