All you need to know about history of Malaysia football team

The Blue Tigers will take on the Malayan Tigers on 18th November 2024.

The Indian football team head coach Manolo Marquez is keen to get his side ready for the AFC Asian Cup 2027 qualifiers. Before the round 3 draw for the qualifiers, the Blue Tigers have a friendly assignment on their hands as they are set to host Malaysia.

The Gachibowli Stadium in Hyderabad is set to host the two sides in the upcoming international break. The match will be played on 18th November 2024 and Manolo Marquez has also named a 26-man preliminary squad for the game.

History and Major Achievements of the Malaysian Football Team

The Malaysian national football team nicknamed Harimau Malaya or Malayan Tigers in English, played their first official game against Thailand in 1963. Between 1948 and 1963, the Federation of Malaya was represented by the Malayan national team.

The Malayan Tigers are currently ranked 133rd in the FIFA Rankings and have played in the AFC Asian Cup on four occasions. In terms of achievements, the Malayan Tigers won the bronze medal in the 1974 Asian Games which were played in Tehran, Iran.

The Southeast Asian nation has also won the ASEAN Championship (Formerly called AFF Championship) in 2010 alongside their three gold medals in the Southeast Asian Games. The most recent trophy won by the Malaysian football team was the Merdeka Cup which they won on 8th September 2024 by beating Lebanon 1-0 in the final.

In terms of friendly tournaments, the Malayan Tigers have won eight Merdeka Cups, four King’s Cups, one South Vietnam Independence Cup, and one Indonesian Independence Cup among other accolades.

ALSO READ: Malaysia’s FIFA ranking graph in 2024

Malaysia’s All-Time Greatest Player & Current Threats

Mokhtar Dahari is considered by many as the greatest Malaysian player ever. The forward scored 89 goals in 142 appearances for the national team before retiring in 1985 after a 13-year-long international career.

Under their talisman, Malaysia reached their highest-ever World Football Elo Rating of 61. The National Geographic channel even released a documentary on Dahari called The Untold Truth About Supermokh that aired in 2010.

From the current Malayan Tigers squad, right-winger Safawi Rasid could be a big goal threat for the Blue Tigers in their upcoming encounter. The Terengganu FC player has scored 20 goals in 57 appearances for his national team.

While Rasid is mostly being utilized as an impact substitute, the Malayan Tigers have other quality attackers as well. Keeping striker Romel Morales and winger Arif Aiman will certainly be a top priority for the Indian defence.

The Malayan Tigers face Laos in a friendly on 14th November 2024. That game will give a better indication of how the Malayan Tigers will set up for their friendly against India.

Who are Malaysia’s football rivals?

The Malaysian football team shares an intense rivalry with Indonesia. The game between the nations is known as the Nusantara Derby. The two rivals have played 79 games so far with Indonesia holding the bragging rights with 36 wins.

Malaysia’s record vs India

India’s first game against Malaysia (formerly known as Malaya) was in 1959 and it ended in a 1-1 draw. The latest game between the two nations came in 2023 in the Merdeka Cup where Malaysia beat the Blue Tigers 4-2.

• Total Number of Games Played – 25
• Matches won by India – 7
• Matches won by Malaysia – 11
• Matches that ended in a draw – 7

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