Malaysia FA Cup

About Malaysia FA Cup

Malaysia FA Cup History, Format, Organization, Media Coverage

The Malaysia FA Cup, or Piala FA as it’s known in Malay, is the premier annual knockout cup competition held in none other than Malaysia. The tournament was established in 1990 and has been run by the Malaysian Football League (MFL) since 2016.

The competition is contested by clubs from the Malaysia Super League, Malaysia Premier League, Malaysia M3 League, and Malaysia M4 League. It should be noted that only non-reserve teams from the Premier League are permitted to take part. In the first round, only M4 and M3 sides take to field. The winners then progress to the second round and here’s where top-flight and second division teams enter the fold. Every round up until the last eight is held over one leg. The quarter-finals and semi-finals are held over two legs while the final is a one-off match.

The champions of the Malaysia FA Cup are awarded a ticket to the AFC Cup. There was an exception in 2019, however, with the winners earning a spot in the 2020 AFC Champions League instead. The cup begins in February but has kicked off in January in the past. Meanwhile, the 2020 Malaysia FA Cup season did not take place as the entire season was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.