The 2010 champions of the ASEAN Championship, Malaysia will hope to hit the heights of the past when they begin their 2024 campaign with a trip to Cambodia on the opening day.
The Harimau Malaya are one of only four nations to have lifted the trophy and recently won the Pestabola Merdeka, while they also drew against Asian powerhouse Korea Republic in this year’s AFC Asian Cup.
Honours
Champions (1): 2010
Runners-up (3): 2018, 2014, 1996
Tournament Highlights
Happy Independence Day to #AFFSuzukiCup 2010 champions Malaysia! 🇲🇾 🎊 #HariKebangsaan pic.twitter.com/5Nqr56M7x7
— ASEAN United FC (@aseanutdfc) August 31, 2020
Malaysia reached the final of the inaugural edition in 1996 but narrowly lost to Thailand in Kallang. After four successive semi-finals from 2000 to 2007, they were back in the summit clash in the 2010 edition.
This was after Malaysia had begun the tournament with their heaviest defeat in the competition’s history, a 5-1 loss at the hands of rivals Indonesia meaning few gave them a chance when they faced the same opponent in the final.
However, it was the Safee Sali show in the first leg in Kuala Lumpur where he netted a second-half double in a 3-0 win before scoring again in the return leg in Jakarta as the Harimau Malaya triumphed 4-2 on aggregate to lift the coveted trophy for the first and only time to date. Since then, Malaysia have reached two more finals, in 2014 and 2018, but failed to clear the last hurdle on both occasions.
Head Coach: Pau Marti Vicente
Spaniard Pau Marti Vicente was appointed as Malaysia’s caretaker head coach after the departure of Kim Pan-gon in July. The 41-year-old has previously served as the assistant manager at Kitchee SC, Adelaide United and in his hometown for Barcelona B prior to his arrival in Southeast Asia.
After being the assistant head coach during Kim’s reign, Marti Vicente has stepped up to fill the hot seat and has started with silverware after leading Malaysia to wins over the Philippines and Lebanon to claim the Pestabola Merdeka as he now sets his sights on his biggest assignment yet.
One To Watch: Haqimi Azim
Blessed with a good physique and height, Haqimi Azim is next in line to be Malaysia’s new star Number 9. The 21-year-old burst onto the scene when he scored on his senior national team debut against Laos in the ASEAN Mitsubishi Electric Cup™ in 2022.
Haqimi is now a regular for his club side Kuala Lumpur City FC, scoring the winning goal for them in their maiden ASEAN Club Championship Shopee Cup™ win against Kaya FC-Iloilo in August. The Selangor native will once again be aiming to shine on the ASEAN stage, this time in the yellow of Malaysia.
The Legend: Safee Sali
Selamat Bersara Safee Sali
— FA Malaysia (@FAM_Malaysia) February 21, 2023
Selepas 20 tahun beraksi sebagai pemain bola sepak profesional, Safee Sali, hari ini mengumumkan persaraan beliau pada usia 39 tahun 23 hari.
76 kaps dan 23 gol bersama Harimau Malaya dari 2006-2017, terima kasih @SafeeSali_10 !#FAM #HarimauMalaya pic.twitter.com/xLGIf9KIZ5
Malaysian football fans will forever remember the exploits of Safee Sali in 2010 when he won the tournament’s Golden Boot despite not scoring any goals in the group stage. Safee delivered when it mattered the most, scoring twice in the semi-final first leg versus Vietnam which took Malaysia to the final.
In the final against arch-rivals Indonesia, the forward scored three goals across two legs to help Malaysia clinch the ASEAN Championship for the first time in its history, in the process cementing his status amongst the pantheons of Malaysian football.
Did You Know?
Malaysia’s K. Sanbagamaran scored the first-ever hat-trick in ASEAN Championship history in a 7-0 win against the Philippines in the year 1996, which remains their biggest margin of win in the tournament.
Mitsubishi Electric Cup™ Fixtures
Cambodia vs Malaysia (8 December, 2024)
Malaysia vs Timor-Leste (11 December, 2024)
Thailand vs Malaysia (14 December, 2024)
Malaysia vs Singapore (20 December, 2024)
Photo: Football Association of Malaysia
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