2023 MFL Challenge Cup

The 2023 MFL Challenge Cup is the third edition of Malaysia Challenge Cup tournament organised by Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) and Malaysian Football League (MFL). The tournament began on 18 September and ended on 3 December 2023. The qualified teams will compete on the knockout stage to compete in a two-legged single-elimination tournament beginning with the quarterfinals followed by semi-finals and the final. Each tie is played on a home-and-away two-legged basis. The away goals rule, extra time and penalty shoot-out are used to decide the winner if necessary.

2023 MFL Challenge Cup
Piala Cabaran MFL 2023
Tournament details
CountryMalaysia
Date18 September – 3 December 2023
Teams8
Final positions
ChampionsPDRM
Runner-upKuching City
Tournament statistics
Matches played14
Goals scored44 (3.14 per match)
Top goal scorer(s)(5 goals)
Uche Agba
← 2019

A total of 8 teams competed in the knockout phase, which the eight losers of the Malaysia Cup round of 16 will participate into the tournament.[1] This was the first Challenge Cup to be held since the 2019 edition, after the previous 3 years saw the tournament not held due to various circumstances. This was also the first tournament under its new name, the MFL Challenge Cup.

PDRM defeated Kuching City in the final, with 4–1 on aggregate, thus winning the competition for the first time in club history.[2]

Teams

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All 8 teams eliminated from the Malaysia Cup round of 16 will enter the tournament:

Key to colours
Losers of round of 16 enter 2023 MFL Challenge Cup
Malaysia Cup Round of 16
Team
Harini Selangor
Kedah Darul Aman
Kelantan
Kelantan United
Kuala Lumpur Rovers
Kuching City
PDRM
Penang

Format

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Each tie in the knockout phase was played over two legs, with each team playing one leg at home. The team that scored more goals on aggregate over the two legs advanced to the next round. If the aggregate score was level, then 30 minutes of extra time was played (the away goals rule was not applied). If the score was still level at the end of extra time, the winners were decided by a penalty shoot-out. In the final, which was played as a single match, if the score was level at the end of normal time, extra time was played, followed by a penalty shoot-out if the score was still level.

The mechanism of the draws for each round was as follows:

  • In the draws for the quarter-finals onwards, there were no seedings, and teams from the same association could be drawn against each other. As the draws for the quarter-finals and semi-finals were held together before the quarter-finals were played, the identity of the quarter-final winners was not known at the time of the semi-final draw. A draw was also held to determine which semi-final winner would be designated as the "home" team for the final (for administrative purposes as it was played at a neutral venue).

Schedule

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The schedule was as follows (all draws were held at the Malaysian Football League headquarters in Petaling Jaya, Selangor).

Round First leg Second leg
Quarter-finals 18–19 September 2023 4–6 October 2023
Semi-finals 21–22 October 2023 4–5 November 2023
Final 29 November 2023 3 December 2023

Knockout-stage

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Bracket

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Quarter-finals Semi-finals Final
            
Penang 2 3 5
Harini Selangor (a.e.t.) 1 2 3
Penang 1 0 1
PDRM 2 2 4
Kuala Lumpur Rovers 1 1 2
PDRM 2 3 5
PDRM 3 1 4
Kuching City 0 1 1
Kuching City 1 3 4
Kedah Darul Aman 0 0 0
Kuching City 1 2 3
Kelantan United 1 0 1
Kelantan United 7 4 11
Kelantan 0 0 0

Quarter-finals

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The first legs were played on 18 and 19 September 2023, and the second legs were played on 4, 5 and 6 October 2023.[3][4]

Team 1 Agg.Tooltip Aggregate score Team 2 1st leg 2nd leg
Kelantan United 11–0 Kelantan 7–0 4–0
Kuala Lumpur Rovers 2–5 PDRM 1–2 1–3
Kuching City 4–0 Kedah Darul Aman 1–0 3–0
Penang 5–3 Harini Selangor 2–1 3–2 (a.e.t.)

Matches

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First leg
Kelantan United7–0Kelantan
Report
Attendance: 710[5]
Referee: Munir Izam
Second leg
Kelantan0–4Kelantan United
Report
Attendance: 275[6]
Referee: Faisal Ridzuan

Kelantan United won 11–0 on aggregate.


First leg
Kuala Lumpur Rovers1–2PDRM
Report
Attendance: 123[7]
Referee: Shahmi Ismail
Second leg
PDRM3–1Kuala Lumpur Rovers
Report

PDRM won 5–2 on aggregate.


First leg
Kuching City1–0Kedah Darul Aman
Report
Attendance: 278[9]
Referee: Faizudin Ismail
Second leg
Kedah Darul Aman0–3Kuching City
Report
Attendance: 2,520[10]
Referee: Kamal Ikhwan Yaacob

Kuching City won 4–0 on aggregate.


First leg
Penang2–1Harini Selangor
Report
Second leg
Harini Selangor2–3 (a.e.t.)Penang
Report
Attendance: 350[12]
Referee: Amiruddin Lantji

Penang won 5–3 on aggregate.


Semi-finals

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The first legs were played on 21 and 22 October 2023, and the second legs were played on 4 and 5 November 2023.[13]

Team 1 Agg.Tooltip Aggregate score Team 2 1st leg 2nd leg
Penang 1–4 PDRM 1–2 0–2
Kuching City 3–1 Kelantan United 1–1 2–0

Matches

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First leg
Penang1–2PDRM
Report
Attendance: 212[14]
Referee: Abang Azharudin Abdullah
Second leg
PDRM2–0Penang
Report
Attendance: 474[15]
Referee: Usaid Jamal

PDRM won 4–1 on aggregate.


First leg
Kuching City1–1Kelantan United
Report
Attendance: 655[16]
Referee: Nafeez Abd Wahab
Second leg
Kelantan United0–2Kuching City
Report

Kuching City won 3–1 on aggregate.


Final

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The first leg was played on 29 November 2023, and the second leg was played on 3 December 2023.

Team 1 Agg.Tooltip Aggregate score Team 2 1st leg 2nd leg
PDRM 4–1 Kuching City 3–0 1–1

Matches

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First leg
PDRM3–0Kuching City
Report
Attendance: 955[18]
Referee: Shukor Zulkiflee
Second leg
Kuching City1–1PDRM
Report
Attendance: 2,000[19]
Referee: Zamzaidi Katimin

PDRM won 4–1 on aggregate.


Winner

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2023 MFL Challenge Cup

PDRM
1st title

Statistics

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Top goalscorers

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Rank Player Club Goals[20]
1   Uche Agba PDRM 5
2   Royizzat Daud Kelantan United 3
  Abu Kamara Kuching City
4   S. Sharvin Kelantan United 2
  Bruno Dybal Kuching City
  Pedro Henrique Kuching City
  Amir Saiful PDRM
  Fakhrul Azim PDRM
  Nabil Latpi PDRM
  Soony Saad Penang
11 19 players 6 clubs 1

See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ The Harini Selangor v Penang match, originally scheduled on 5 October 2023 were changed to 6 October 2023, and the original venue (Tuanku Abdul Rahman Stadium) has been changed to the new venue (Selayang Stadium).[4]
  1. ^ The match has been delayed 2 hours due to rain.

References

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  1. ^ Haziq, Azri (26 January 2023). "MFL Challenge Cup Kembali Warnai Arena Bola Sepak Tempatan". makanbola.com. Makan Bola. Retrieved 26 January 2023.
  2. ^ Suhaimi, Muhamad Ardie Putra (3 December 2023). "PDRM FC juara Piala Cabaran 2023". kosmo.com.my. Kosmo. Retrieved 3 December 2023.
  3. ^ "Jadual Pertandingan MFL Challenge Cup 2023" (PDF). malaysianfootballleague.com. Malaysian Football League. 5 September 2023. Retrieved 5 September 2023.
  4. ^ a b "Kemaskini Jadual MFL Challenge Cup 2023" (PDF). malaysianfootballleague.com. Malaysian Football League. 30 September 2023. Retrieved 30 September 2023.
  5. ^ "Full Time Summary Quarter-finals 1st leg – Kelantan United v Kelantan". fam.org.my. Football Association of Malaysia. 18 September 2023. Retrieved 19 September 2023.
  6. ^ "Full Time Summary Quarter-finals 2nd leg – Kelantan v Kelantan United". fam.org.my. Football Association of Malaysia. 4 October 2023. Retrieved 5 October 2023.
  7. ^ "Full Time Summary Quarter-finals 1st leg – Kuala Lumpur Rovers v PDRM". fam.org.my. Football Association of Malaysia. 18 September 2023. Retrieved 19 September 2023.
  8. ^ "Full Time Summary Quarter-finals 2nd leg – PDRM v Kuala Lumpur Rovers". fam.org.my. Football Association of Malaysia. 5 October 2023. Retrieved 6 October 2023.
  9. ^ "Full Time Summary Quarter-finals 1st leg – Kuching City v Kedah Darul Aman". fam.org.my. Football Association of Malaysia. 19 September 2023. Retrieved 19 September 2023.
  10. ^ "Full Time Summary Quarter-finals 2nd leg – Kedah Darul Aman v Kuching City". fam.org.my. Football Association of Malaysia. 4 October 2023. Retrieved 4 October 2023.
  11. ^ "Full Time Summary Quarter-finals 1st leg – Penang v Harini Selangor". fam.org.my. Football Association of Malaysia. 19 September 2023. Retrieved 20 September 2023.
  12. ^ "Full Time Summary Quarter-finals 2nd leg – Harini Selangor v Penang". fam.org.my. Football Association of Malaysia. 6 October 2023. Retrieved 7 October 2023.
  13. ^ "Jadual Pertandingan MFL Challenge Cup 2023" (PDF). malaysianfootballleague.com. Malaysian Football League. 12 October 2023. Retrieved 13 October 2023.
  14. ^ "Full Time Summary Semi-finals 1st leg – Penang v PDRM". fam.org.my. Football Association of Malaysia. 21 October 2023. Retrieved 21 October 2023.
  15. ^ "Full Time Summary Semi-finals 2nd leg - PDRM v Penang". fam.org.my. Football Association of Malaysia. 5 November 2023. Retrieved 5 November 2023.
  16. ^ "Full Time Summary Semi-finals 1st leg – Kuching City v Kelantan United". fam.org.my. Football Association of Malaysia. 22 October 2023. Retrieved 22 October 2023.
  17. ^ "Full Time Summary Semi-finals 2nd leg - Kelantan United v Kuching City". fam.org.my. Football Association of Malaysia. 4 November 2023. Retrieved 4 November 2023.
  18. ^ "Full Time Summary Final 1st leg - PDRM v Kuching City". fam.org.my. Football Association of Malaysia. 29 November 2023. Retrieved 29 November 2023.
  19. ^ "Full Time Summary Final 2nd leg - Kuching City v PDRM". fam.org.my. Football Association of Malaysia. 2 December 2023. Retrieved 2 December 2023.
  20. ^ "LIST TOP SCORERS MFL CHALLENGE CUP 2023". fam.org.my. Football Association of Malaysia. Retrieved 4 October 2023.
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