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The Star
2 hours ago
- Sport
- The Star
Harimau Malaya to play friendlies against Singapore, Palestine
PETALING JAYA: The Malaysian football team are set to play two international friendly matches in September. The Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) confirmed that the Harimau Malaya will host Singapore on Sept 4 and Palestine on Sept 8. Both matches will be staged in the nation's capital, giving supporters the opportunity to rally behind their team on home soil. "We're thrilled to have secured two quality fixtures," said national team chief executive officer Rob Friend. "It's a fantastic opportunity to play two exciting matches in front of our fans in Kuala Lumpur. "Singapore brings regional intensity and familiarity, while Palestine offers a different tactical challenge and a top 100 FIFA-ranked opponent. Both matches will provide valuable experience for our squad as we continue building this exciting project." Touching on Malaysia's withdrawal from the CAFA Nations Cup, Friend added: "While the withdrawal from CAFA was a calculated decision, we worked closely with them to help in finding a suitable replacement. "It was important for us to act with integrity and preserve the strong relationships we value within the global football community." Further details regarding kick-off times and ticketing for the two friendly matches will be announced later.
The Sun
a day ago
- Sport
- The Sun
FAM to decide friendlies after CAFA Cup withdrawal
NATIONAL football squad defender Dion Cools has deferred the decision on Harimau Malaya's potential friendly matches in September to the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) and team management. He emphasised that the team still has ample time to prepare for the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers scheduled for October and November. This comes after Malaysia's withdrawal from the Central Asian Football Association (CAFA) Nations Cup 2025, set to take place in Tajikistan from Aug 29 to Sept 8. 'I think it's bad news (withdrawing from the 2025 CAFA Cup), but at the same time the management has done its best. We have work to do for the Asian Cup qualifiers, and I think that's the most important thing for us,' Cools said. He added, 'September is the best time for us to prepare for October (the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers against Laos) because we want to go to Saudi Arabia (the 2027 Asian Cup finals) and I think the management will make the right decision, and we have to trust that they will make the right decision. I don't want to panic about it, just stay with the team.' Cools made these remarks during the launch of a special edition jersey in collaboration with an international sportswear brand. FAM had earlier cited the rescheduling of CAFA Cup matches outside FIFA's international window as the reason for Malaysia's withdrawal, as clubs are not obligated to release players during non-FIFA dates. - Bernama
The Sun
6 days ago
- Sport
- The Sun
Malaysia U-23 aims for comeback win vs Brunei in AFF U-23 2025
NATIONAL Under-23 (U-23) squad head coach Nafuzi Zain remains optimistic that Malaysia will recover from their opening defeat to secure a win against Brunei in the 2025 AFF U-23 Championship. The match will take place at Gelora Bung Karno Stadium in Jakarta tomorrow. Following a 0-2 loss to the Philippines in their first Group A game, Nafuzi said his team has moved on and is fully focused on securing three points to keep their semi-final hopes alive. 'The players are still in high morale and they regret the recent defeat but they promised to bounce back with a victory against Brunei,' he said in a video shared by the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM). Despite Brunei's heavy 0-8 loss to Indonesia, Nafuzi warned against underestimating their opponents. 'It is true that Brunei lost by a big margin to Indonesia, but my focus is only on the team's preparation. If we don't play well even against a weak team, we will not be able to win,' he added. Malaysia currently sits third in Group A with no points, trailing Indonesia and the Philippines, who both have three points. Brunei is at the bottom of the table, also without any points. - Bernama
The Star
16-07-2025
- Sport
- The Star
Central Asian Football Association expresses regret over Malaysia's late withdrawal from Nations Cup
PETALING JAYA: The Central Asian Football Association (CAFA) has expressed regret over Malaysia's late withdrawal from the Nations Cup, releasing an official statement clarifying key details surrounding the tournament's scheduling and format. The Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) had earlier announced their decision to pull out of the competition, citing player release challenges due to the event falling just outside the FIFA international match calendar. The national team, led by Australian coach Peter Cklamovski, pointed to issues involving player availability, especially those based in foreign leagues such as Spain, Argentina, Japan and Colombia. However, CAFA responded on Wednesday (July 16), saying the tournament dates had never been changed and had been communicated well in advance. "Malaysia's participation had been confirmed well in advance, with full awareness of the tournament dates (Aug 29-Sept 8), and those dates have never been changed from the beginning," CAFA stated. "Unfortunately, this late withdrawal has caused certain disruptions to the ongoing organisational processes, particularly given the advanced stage of planning and preparations." CAFA also addressed the concerns surrounding player availability, highlighting that flexibility in player registration was already built into the tournament regulations. "The final registration of players — selected from a preliminary list of 35 — can be submitted on a match-by-match basis. This allows for maximum flexibility, including the possibility of key players joining the team for subsequent matches." Despite the setback, CAFA reaffirmed their commitment to delivering a competitive and high-quality tournament, thanking participating nations for their cooperation. "We remain committed to delivering a high-quality and competitive tournament for the people of Central Asia and beyond."
Daily Express
11-07-2025
- Sport
- Daily Express
Help in pitch upgrades, Football Association of Malaysia urged
Published on: Friday, July 11, 2025 Published on: Fri, Jul 11, 2025 By: Lagatah Toyos Text Size: Rina (seated, centre) poses with participants of the seminar. TAWAU: The Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) has been urged to assist Sabah in upgrading the quality of football fields in the State, which are seen to be lagging despite Sabah's strong track record of producing national sports talents. State Finance Minister's Political Secretary Datuk Rina Jainal said the State currently relies heavily on funding from the Ministry of Youth and Sports, although many sporting facilities require significant expenditure. 'At the Ministry of Finance, we constantly face conflicts because many sports facilities demand high maintenance costs,' she said. She stressed that Sabah has produced many sports stars and that basic infrastructure must be well-supported by all parties to further develop sports in the State. Rina said this after officiating the 2025/2026 Sabah-level National Football Referees Annual Seminar and Fitness Test held here on Wednesday night. Commenting on the programme, which saw participation from 36 aspiring qualified referees from across Sabah, Rina said it was a proud achievement for Tawau to be selected as the host for the Sabah zonal seminar by FAM itself. She expressed confidence that FAM's presence in the region would inspire young referees to stay active and uncover more promising talent, especially in Tawau. At the same time, she noted the importance of such programmes in strengthening integrity and sporting mindset, especially given the challenging role of referees who must manage matches fairly and often face risks, including corruption. Meanwhile, FAM Referees Unit Head, Kassim Kadir Bacha, said Sabah had shown a significant increase in referee participation, with the current intake rising to 36 from just 15 previously. He emphasised that FAM continues to focus on integrity and consistent monitoring of referees through ongoing seminars while also working to produce more female and young referees from Sabah. * Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel and Telegram for breaking news alerts and key updates! * Do you have access to the Daily Express e-paper and online exclusive news? Check out subscription plans available. Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express's Telegram channel. Daily Express Malaysia
