# 2018 Malaysia Challenge Cup

The 2018 Malaysia Challenge Cup or Challenge Cup (Malay: Piala Cabaran Malaysia 2018) is the first edition of Malaysia Challenge Cup tournament organised by Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) and Football Malaysia LLP (FMLLP).
The 2018 Malaysia Challenge Cup will start with a preliminary round. A total of 8 teams took part in the competition. The teams were divided into two groups, each containing four teams. The group leaders and runners-up teams in the groups after six matches qualified to the semi-finals.

## Format

The competition will be one involving eight teams-one team from Malaysia Super League (12th placed team), seven teams from Malaysia Premier League (6th to 12th placed teams). However because Kuantan were thrown out of the league, another team will be invited into the Challenge Cup to replaced them.

## Round and draw dates

The draw for the 2018 Malaysia Challenge Cup was held on 1 August 2018.
| Phase | Round | Draw date | First leg | Second leg |
| Group stage | Matchday 1 | 1 August 2018 15:30 UTC+8 | 7–8 August 2018 | 7–8 August 2018 |
| Group stage | Matchday 2 | 1 August 2018 15:30 UTC+8 | 14–15 August 2018 | 14–15 August 2018 |
| Group stage | Matchday 3 | 1 August 2018 15:30 UTC+8 | 28–29 August 2018 | 28–29 August 2018 |
| Group stage | Matchday 4 | 1 August 2018 15:30 UTC+8 | 4–5 September 2018 | 4–5 September 2018 |
| Group stage | Matchday 5 | 1 August 2018 15:30 UTC+8 | 11–12 September 2018 | 11–12 September 2018 |
| Group stage | Matchday 6 | 1 August 2018 15:30 UTC+8 | 18–19 September 2018 | 18–19 September 2018 |
| Knockout stage | Semi-finals | 1 August 2018 15:30 UTC+8 | 24 September 2018 | 1 October 2018 |
| Knockout stage | Final | 1 August 2018 15:30 UTC+8 | 8 October 2018 | 15 October 2018 |

## Group stage
### Group A

| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification | TER | UKM | NSE | SAR |
| 1 | Terengganu II | 6 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 10 | 6 | +4 | 12 | Advance to Semi-finals | — | 3–3 | 1–1 | 1–0 |
| 2 | UKM | 6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 14 | 10 | +4 | 10 | Advance to Semi-finals | 1–3 | — | 2–1 | 5–1 |
| 3 | Negeri Sembilan | 6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 9 | 6 | +3 | 10 | | 0–1 | 2–1 | — | 3–1 |
| 4 | Sarawak | 6 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 3 | 14 | −11 | 1 | | 1–1 | 0–2 | 0–2 | — |

### Group B

| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification | JDT | ATM | UiTM | PEN |
| 1 | Johor Darul Ta'zim II | 6 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 15 | 4 | +11 | 13 | Advance to Semi-finals | — | 2–0 | 0–0 | 4–0 |
| 2 | ATM | 6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 10 | Advance to Semi-finals | 2–1 | — | 1–0 | 0–0 |
| 3 | UiTM | 6 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 6 | −2 | 5 | | 2–3 | 2–0 | — | 0–0 |
| 4 | Penang | 6 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 11 | −8 | 5 | | 1–5 | 0–2 | 2–0 | — |

## Knockout stage
### Bracket

| Semi-finals | Semi-finals | Semi-finals | Semi-finals | Semi-finals | Finals | Finals | Finals | Finals | Finals |
| A2 | UKM | 1 | 1 | 2 | | | | | |
| B1 | Johor Darul Ta'zim II | 1 | 0 | 1 | | | | | |
| B1 | Johor Darul Ta'zim II | 1 | 0 | 1 | UKM | UKM | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| | | | | | Terengganu II | Terengganu II | 2 | 2 | 4 |
| B2 | ATM | 0 | 0 | 0 | Terengganu II | Terengganu II | 2 | 2 | 4 |
| A1 | Terengganu II | 2 | 3 | 5 | | | | | |

### Semifinals

| Team 1 | Agg.Tooltip Aggregate score | Team 2 | 1st leg | 2nd leg |
| UKM | 2-1 | Johor Darul Ta'zim II | 1−1 | 1-0 |
| ATM | 0-5 | Terengganu II | 0−2 | 0-3 |

### Semi-finals
#### Second Leg

UKM won 2−1 on aggregate.

#### Second Leg

Terengganu II won 5−0 on aggregate.

### Final

The first legs will be played on 8 October 2018, and the second legs will be played on 15 October 2018
Terengganu II won 4−2 on aggregate.

## Statistics
### Top scorers

    As of matches played on 15 October 2018
| Rank | Player | Club | Goals |
| 1 | Michael Ijezie | UKM | 13 |
| 2 | Akanni Sunday | Terengganu II | 8 |
| 3 | Nicholas Fernàndez | Johor Darul Ta'zim II | 3 |
| 3 | Bruno Suzuki | Terengganu II | 3 |
| 5 | Amirul Hadi | Johor Darul Ta'zim II | 2 |
| 5 | D. Saarvindran | Johor Darul Ta'zim II | 2 |
| 5 | S. Kumaahran | Johor Darul Ta'zim II | 2 |
| 5 | Faizal Abu Bakar | Negeri Sembilan | 2 |
| 5 | Fakrul Aiman Sidid | Negeri Sembilan | 2 |
| 5 | Flavio Beck | Negeri Sembilan | 2 |
| 5 | Dzulazlan Ibrahim | Sarawak | 2 |
| 5 | Haidhir Suhaini | Terengganu II | 2 |
| 5 | Faiz Hanif | UKM | 2 |

### Hat-tricks

| Player | For | Against | Result | Date |
| Michael Ijezie$^5$ | UKM | Sarawak | 5–1 | 7 August 2018 |
$^5$ Player scored five goals

### Clean sheets

    As of matches played on 15 October 2018
| Rank | Player | Club | Clean sheets |
| 1 | Shamirza Yusoff | Terengganu II | 4 |
| 2 | Hafizuddin Azuhar | ATM | 3 |
| 2 | Haziq Nadzli | Johor Darul Ta'zim II | 3 |
| 2 | Azam Jais | UiTM | 3 |
| 5 | Al- Hafiz Hamzah | Penang | 2 |
| 5 | Haziq Aris | UKM | 2 |
| 7 | Ernest Wong | Johor Darul Ta'zim II | 1 |
| 7 | Saiful Amar Sudar | Negeri Sembilan | 1 |
| 7 | Hazrul Hafiz | Penang | 1 |
| 7 | Suhaimi Husin | Terengganu II | 1 |