Malaysia national under-22 football team
| Nickname(s) | Harimau Muda (Young Tigers) | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Association | Football Association of Malaysia | ||
| Confederation | AFC (Asia) | ||
| Sub-confederation | AFF (Southeast Asia) | ||
| Head coach | Nafuzi Zain | ||
| Captain | Eric Pathansali | ||
| Home stadium | Bukit Jalil National Stadium | ||
| FIFA code | MAS | ||
| |||
Malaysia national under-22 football team (also known as Malaysia Under-22, Malaysia U-22 or Malaysia B-22) represents Malaysia in international football competitions including in the SEA Games of the 2017 edition. It is managed by the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM). This team was created for the 2013 AFC U-22 Championship qualification, 2017 SEA Games and participated in the 2019 AFF U-22 Youth Championship.[1][2]
History
After Harimau Muda project disbanded in 2015, FAM needed a fresh start for the U-23 team where a new set of players was brought in for the team with the creation of SEA Games Project 2017 team which was then announced as the national under-22 team.[1][3] The players in the current team mainly consist of players with age around 18 to 21 years old where the oldest players will be below the age requirement of 22 years old when 2017 SEA Games in Malaysia started.[1] With bigger pool of players within age of 18-22, the team will also play in other age-restricted tournament as the younger side such as U-21 and U-22 when needed.
The team is considered to be the feeder team for the Malaysia national football team. It is for players under the age of 22 and less. Also in existence are national teams for Under-19s, Under-16s and Under-14s. As long as they are eligible, players can play at any level, hence it is possible for one to play for the U-22s, senior side and then again for the U-22s.
Frank Bernhardt era
Frank Bernhardt has been announced as the new head coach for the newly created Malaysia under-22 national football team in preparation for 2017 Southeast Asian Games. The 46-year-old began his new job as national under-22 boss on Monday at Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) headquarters in Kelana Jaya. His first task is to pick an assistant from four candidates—Hassan Sazali, P. Maniam, Reduan Abdullah and Azlan Johar. And then Bernhardt will choose a squad of 25 players to work with ahead of the SEA Games football tournament on home soil in August 2017.[4]
25 players, including President's Cup players from DRB-Hicom and Sime Darby were picked to join the U22 national team third training camp.[5]
Tournament records
AFC U-22 Championship
- Note: AFC U-22 in 2013.
| AFC U-22 Championship Record | AFC U-22 qualification Record | Head coach | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Round | GP | W | D | L | GF | GA | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | ||||
| 2013 | did not qualify | 5 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 17 | 7 | Ong Kim Swee | |||||||||
| Total | Best: None | – | – | – | – | – | – | 5 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 17 | 7 | ||||
SEA Games
- Note: All Malaysian participants from U-22 since 31 March 2016 are only for SEA Games.
| SEA Games Record | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Round | Position | GP | W | D* | L | GS | GA |
| 2017 | Runners-up | 2/11 | 6 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 11 | 5 |
| Total | Best: Runners-up | 1/1 | 6 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 11 | 5 |
- *Denotes draws include knockout matches decided on penalty kicks.
- **Red border colour indicates tournament was held on home soil.
Hassanal Bolkiah Trophy record
| Hassanal Bolkiah Trophy | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Round | GP | W | D | L | GS | GA |
| 2002 | Third Place | 5 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 13 | 9 |
| 2005 | Group Stage | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 7 |
| 2007 | Third Place | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 7 |
| Total | Best: Third Place | 13 | 5 | 1 | 7 | 20 | 23 |
Recent results
Win Draw Lose
2019
AFF U-22 Youth Championship (17–26 February)
| 18 February 2019 Group stage | Malaysia | 0–1 | Cambodia | Phnom Penh, Cambodia |
| 18:30 UTC+7 | Report | Rosib 62' | Stadium: Olympic Stadium, Phnom Penh Attendance: 3,875 Referee: Nguyễn Hiền Triết (Vietnam) |
| 20 February 2019 Group stage | Indonesia | 2–2 | Malaysia | Phnom Penh, Cambodia |
| 15:30 UTC+7 | Marinus 52' Witan 77' |
Report | Nik Akif 62' Hadi 86' |
Stadium: Olympic Stadium, Phnom Penh Attendance: 600 Referee: Steve Supresencia (Philippines) |
| 22 February 2019 Group stage | Malaysia | 1–0 | Myanmar | Phnom Penh, Cambodia |
| 18:30 UTC+7 | Hadi 45' | Report | Stadium: RSN Stadium Attendance: 115 Referee: Sivakorn Pu-udom (Thailand) |
2023
Merlion Cup (24–26 March)
| 24 March 2023 Semi Final | Cambodia | 2–4 | Malaysia | Singapore |
| 17:00 UTC+8 | Lim Pisoth 36' Sieng Chanthea 51' |
Report | Haqimi Azim 13' V. Ruventhiran 30' Fergus Tierney 62' Najmudin Akmal 73' |
Stadium: Jalan Besar Stadium Referee: Clarence Leow (Singapore) |
| 26 March 2023 Final | Hong Kong | 1–2 | Malaysia | Singapore |
| 21:15 UTC+8 | Lau Ka Kiu 80' | Report | Najmudin Akmal 74' Safwan Mazlan 79' |
Stadium: Jalan Besar Stadium Referee: Ahmad A'Qashah (Singapore) |
2023 Southeast Asian Games (29 April–17 May)
| 3 May 2023 Group stage | Malaysia | 5–1 | Laos | Phnom Penh, Cambodia |
| Stadium: Prince Stadium |
| 6 May 2023 Group stage | Malaysia | 0–2 | Thailand | Phnom Penh, Cambodia |
| Stadium: Prince Stadium |
| 8 May 2023 Group stage | Malaysia | 1–2 | Vietnam | Phnom Penh, Cambodia |
| Stadium: Prince Stadium |
| 11 May 2023 Group stage | Malaysia | 7–0 | Singapore | Phnom Penh, Cambodia |
| Stadium: Prince Stadium |
2025
Players
Current squad
- The following 20 players were called up for the 2025 Southeast Asian Games.
- Caps and goals correct as of:
| No. | Pos. | Player | Date of birth (age) | Caps | Goals | Club |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | GK | Farid Danish | 30 March 2003 | 1 | 0 | Negeri Sembilan |
| 23 | GK | Haziq Aiman | 19 January 2005 | 0 | 0 | Melaka |
| 2 | DF | Faris Danish | 4 July 2006 | 0 | 0 | Johor Darul Ta'zim II |
| DF | Noah Leembruggen | 27 May 2005 | 0 | 0 | NEC Nijmegen | |
| DF | Jack Reilly | 9 February 2004 | 0 | 0 | Notts County | |
| DF | Raja Idris Othman Raja Rizal Azman | 24 September 2005 | 0 | 0 | Loughborough University | |
| DF | Paarveen Waran | 6 February 2007 | 0 | 0 | F.C. Vizela | |
| DF | Josh Robinson | 20 December 2004 | 0 | 0 | Notts County | |
| DF | Muhammad Ariq Darius | 31 January 2010 | 0 | 0 | Al-Rayyan Academy | |
| MF | Eric Pathansali (captain) | 2 January 2007 | 0 | 0 | IF Brommapojkarna | |
| MF | Arfan Ariff | 21 August 2007 | 0 | 0 | Balestier Khalsa | |
| MF | Bastian Aaron Lim | 22 August 2006 | 0 | 0 | Batavia | |
| MF | Isaiah Teng | 13 February 2008 | 0 | 0 | Vélez Sarsfield | |
| MF | Reyess Shaqeel Emir | 16 January 2009 | 0 | 0 | Queens Park Rangers | |
| MF | Dylan Tellado | 9 October 2005 | 0 | 0 | Harvard Crimson | |
| FW | Michael Wong | 23 February 2008 | 0 | 0 | Auckland United | |
| FW | Zachary Chung | 5 April 2005 | 0 | 0 | Birkenhead United AFC | |
| FW | Putera Luqman Hafiz | 27 May 2010 | 0 | 0 | Malvern City | |
| FW | Kim Johan Nyo Tegnander | 3 February 2009 | 0 | 0 | Pors II | |
| 22 | FW | Haqimi Azim | 6 January 2003 | 6 | 2 | Kuala Lumpur City |
Recent call-ups
These players are called up over the last 36 months.
| Pos. | Player | Date of birth (age) | Caps | Goals | Club | Latest call-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GK | Haziq Mukriz | 19 April 2003 | 0 | 0 | Penang | 2025 ASEAN U-23 ChampionshipPRE |
| DF | Arif Ilham | 28 September 2003 | 0 | 0 | KL City Extension | 2026 AFC U-23 Asian Cup qualificationPRE |
| DF | Ariff Safwan | 17 February 2005 | 0 | 0 | Johor Darul Ta'zim II | 2026 AFC U-23 Asian Cup qualificationPRE |
| DF | Zachary Zahidadil | 27 May 2005 | 0 | 0 | Terengganu F.C. III | 2026 AFC U-23 Asian Cup qualification |
| MF | Haykal Danish | 5 May 2005 | 1 | 0 | Selangor | 2026 AFC U-23 Asian Cup qualification |
| FW | Fergus Tierney | 19 March 2003 | 16 | 7 | Sabah | 2026 AFC U-23 Asian Cup qualification |
| FW | Najmuddin Akmal | 11 January 2003 | 12 | 2 | Johor Darul Ta'zim II | 2024 AFC U-23 Asian Cup |
Team officials
| Roles | Names | Appointment date | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team Management | ||||
| CEO | Rob Friend[6][7] | 31 December 2024[8] | ||
| Deputy CEO | Stanley Bernard | 15 April 2025 | ||
| Coaching Staff | ||||
| Head coach | Nafuzi Zain | 16 December 2024 | ||
| Assistant coach | Koo Ja-cheol | |||
| Ryan Giggs | ||||
| Hairuddin Omar | 5 January 2025 | |||
| Shukor Adan | 12 October 2023 | |||
| Hazzuwan Halim | ||||
| Goalkeeping coach | Eiji Kawashima | |||
| Fitness coach | Khairal Afiq | |||
| Doctor | Ridzuan Azmi | |||
| Physiotherapist | Masaaki Taira | |||
| Harris Zafran Ahmad Haraman | ||||
| Masseur | Ahmad Ramzi Ahmad Zaini | |||
| Kitman | Sukri Haimi | |||
| Video analyst | Ahmad Hilmi Abdul Latif | |||
| Nutritionist | Norazmi Ramliy | |||
| Media Officer | Wan Mohd Fakhrul Anwar Wan Bakar | |||
| Team Administrator | Azfendy Azzudin | |||
| Team coordinator | Zulfadli Rozi | 17 March 2025 | ||
| Technical director | Tan Cheng Hoe | 15 April 2025 | ||
Head coaches
- Frank Bernhardt (2016–2017)[9]
- Ong Kim Swee (2017)
- E. Elavarasan (2023–2024)
- Nafuzi Zain (2025–)
Head coaches records
- As of 25 March 2017
| Malaysia national football team head coaches | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Name | Country | Period | GP | W | D* | L | GS | GA | GD | Win % |
| Frank Bernhardt | Germany | 2016–2017 | 14 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 17 | 18 | −1 | 35.71 |
| Ong Kim Swee | Malaysia | 2017 | 6 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 11 | 5 | +6 | 83.33 |
| E. Elavarasan | Malaysia | 2023–2024 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 12 | 8 | +4 | 60.00 |
Honours
Regional
- Southeast Asian Games
- Silver medals: 2017
Others
See also
- Malaysia national football team
- Malaysia women's national football team
- Malaysia national under-19 football team
- Malaysia national under-16 football team
References
- ^ a b c Lim Say Heng (19 February 2016). "Football to revert to U-23 format after 2017 SEA Games". TNP. Retrieved 2 December 2016.
- ^ Martin Martinez (15 February 2019). "AFF U-22 Championship 2019: Malaysia schedule, time table, matches". FOX Sports Asia. Archived from the original on 28 March 2019. Retrieved 28 March 2019.
- ^ Nik Afiq (25 November 2015). "FAM Terminates Harimau Muda Program". Goal.com. Retrieved 20 September 2016.
- ^ "SEA Games gold medal in sights of new Malaysia U22 coach Bernhardt". ESPN FC. 4 January 2016. Retrieved 20 September 2016.
- ^ Nik Afiq (27 April 2016). "Bernhadt Calls Up 25 Players For Next 2017 Sea Games Project Squad Training Camp". Goal.com. Retrieved 20 September 2016.
- ^ "FAM taps Rob Friend as CEO to usher in a new era for Harimau Malaya". Bernama. 31 December 2024. Retrieved 31 December 2024 – via Malay Mail.
- ^ Jacques, John (31 December 2024). "Rob Friend Named Malaysia National Team CEO". Northern Tribune. Retrieved 31 December 2024.
- ^ "Ex-CanMNT forward, current Vancouver FC president Rob Friend appointed Malaysia national team CEO". Canadian Soccer Daily. 31 December 2024. Retrieved 31 December 2024.
- ^ Nik Afiq (31 August 2016). "Malaysia U22 players Prefer Call-Up Approach". Goal.com. Retrieved 20 September 2016.
- ^ "Malaysia juara Piala Merlion" (in Malay). Harian Metro. Archived from the original on 27 March 2023. Retrieved 27 March 2023.