MFL Challenge Cup

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

MFL Challenge Cup
FoundedAugust 2018 (August 2018)
RegionMalaysia
Number of teams8
Current championsJohor Darul Ta'zim II (1st title)
Most successful team(s)Terengganu II
Johor Darul Ta'zim II (1 title)
Television broadcastersAstro Arena
Websitewww.footballmalaysia.com
2023 MFL Challenge Cup

The tournament was created for Malaysia Super League and Malaysia Premier League teams that did not qualify for the Malaysia Cup tournament through their league standings at the end of the league season. The idea was mooted by Football Malaysia in December 2017 as a solution to inactivity for the teams that did not qualify for the more prestigious Malaysia Cup.[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 8 teams divided into 2 groups of four teams and playing a double round-robin system of games. The winners and runners-up of each group qualify to the knockout round, each rounds is held on a home and away basis including the final. The tournament is held concurrently with the Malaysia Cup, with Challenge Cup games played in midweek (Tuesday, Wednesday) as opposed to Malaysia Cup games played on weekends (Friday, Saturday and Sunday).[3]

Future tournament winners may receive a slot in the Malaysia Cup, based on the success of the Challenge Cup, and the restructuring of Malaysia Cup qualification.[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, but due to Kuantan FA being ejected in the middle of the league season (and subsequently disbanded), the FAM invited ATM FA, the highest positioned team in the 2018 Malaysia FAM Cup that did not qualify for the FAM Cup knock-out stage to take part in the tournament.[5]

The selection of teams remains the same for the 2019 edition: one team from the 2019 Malaysia Super League (12th placed team), and seven teams from the 2019 Malaysia Premier League (6th to 12th placed teams). Once again, a team from Premier League was not eligible, this time Perlis which were thrown out of the 2019 Malaysia Premier League in February 2019. Unlike the 2018 edition there are no teams will be invited into the Challenge Cup to replace them, meaning only 7 teams left in the competition.

The 2020 and the 2021 edition was not held due to COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent restrictions placed by the Malaysian government to combat it.[6][7] After also not held in 2022, 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
Year Final Losing semi-finalists Number of teams
Winner Score Runner-up
2018 Terengganu II 4−2 (aggregate) UKM Johor Darul Ta'zim II and ATM 8
2019 Johor Darul Ta'zim II 1−1 (a.e.t.) 6–5 (PSO) UKM Terengganu II and Sarawak 8
2020Cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic
2021Cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic
2022Not held
2023 8

Successful teams
Team Winners Runners-up Years won Years runners-up
Terengganu II 1 0 2018 —
Johor Darul Ta'zim II 1 0 2019 —
UKM FC 0 2 — 2018, 2019

Awards

Top scorers
Year Player Goals Team
2018 Nigeria Michael Chukwubunna Ijezie 13 UKM
2019 Croatia Mateo Roskam 6 UKM
Iran Milad Zanidpour

See also

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.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.