# MFL Challenge Cup

The MFL Challenge Cup (Malay: Piala Cabaran MFL), which was previously referred to as the Malaysia Challenge Cup, is a prestigious football tournament in Malaysia that is organized under the joint supervision and management of the Malaysian Football League (MFL) and the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM). The tournament serves as a secondary-tier cup competition, specifically designed to provide an additional platform for teams that are eliminated during the round of 16 stage of the prestigious Malaysia Cup.

## History

The tournament was created for the Malaysia Super League and the Malaysia Premier League teams that did not qualify for the Malaysia Cup tournament through their league standings. The idea was mooted by the Football Malaysia in December 2017 as a solution to increase the number of competitive games. Observers such as FourFourTwo Malaysia see benefits of the Challenge Cup; as another chance of silverware for the competitors, maintaining the competitive edge between the participating teams, and as a way to analyze players in their teams in preparation for the next season.
The inaugural tournament was held in 2018, with eight teams divided into 2 groups of four and playing a double round-robin system of games. The winners and runners-up of each group qualify to the knockout round on a home and away basis including the final. The tournament is held concurrently with the Malaysia Cup, with Challenge Cup games mostly played in midweek (Tuesday, Wednesday) as opposed to Malaysia Cup games played on weekends (Friday, Saturday and Sunday).

## Competition format
### Selection of teams

For the 2018 edition, the team that finished last in the Malaysia Super League, and the sixth-placed to twelfth-placed teams in the Malaysia Premier League qualified for the tournament. The selection of teams remained the same for 2019. From 2020 until 2023 it was not held, mostly due to COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent restrictions. FAM announced the competition will return in 2023, featuring 8 teams who are eliminated in the last 16 of the 2023 Malaysia Cup.

### Knockout stage

From the quarterfinals all the way to the final stage of the competition, the matches will be conducted in a two-legged format, with each team playing one match at their home venue and another match at their opponent's venue to determine the winner.

## Results
### List of finals

List of MFL Challenge Cup finals :
| Season | Home team | Score | Away team | Venue | Attendance |
| 2018 | UKM FC | 2–2 | Terengganu II | Shah Alam Stadium, Shah Alam | 1,485 |
| 2018 | Terengganu II | 2–0 | UKM FC | Sultan Ismail Nasiruddin Shah Stadium, Kuala Terengganu | 3,800 |
| Terengganu II won 4–2 on aggregate ||||||
| 2019 | Johor Darul Ta'zim II | 1–0 | UKM FC | Pasir Gudang Corporation Stadium, Pasir Gudang | 4,830 |
| 2019 | UKM FC | 1–0 | Johor Darul Ta'zim II | Kuala Lumpur Stadium, Cheras | 1,778 |
| Aggregate 1–1, Johor Darul Ta'zim II won 6–5 on penalties ||||||
| 2023 | PDRM | 3–0 | Kuching City | Petaling Jaya Stadium, Petaling Jaya | 955 |
| 2023 | Kuching City | 1–1 | PDRM | Sarawak State Stadium, Kuching | 2,000 |
| PDRM won 4–1 on aggregate ||||||
| 2024–25 | Selangor | 3–0 | PDRM | Petaling Jaya Stadium, Petaling Jaya | 3,768 |
| 2024–25 | PDRM | 0–4 | Selangor | Petaling Jaya Stadium, Petaling Jaya | 2,232 |
| Selangor won 7–0 on aggregate ||||||

## Performances
### Performances by team

The table shown performances by the six teams who reached the final stage of the MFL Challenge Cup.
Performance in MFL Challenge Cup by team :
| Team | Winners | Runners-up | Seasons won | Seasons runners-up |
| PDRM | 1 | 1 | 2023 | 2024–25 |
| Terengganu II | 1 | 0 | 2018 | — |
| Johor Darul Ta'zim II | 1 | 0 | 2019 | — |
| Selangor | 1 | 0 | 2024–25 | — |
| UKM FC | 0 | 2 | — | 2018, 2019 |
| Kuching City | 0 | 1 | — | 2023 |

## Record and statistics
### Final

* Most wins: 1, joint record:
** Terengganu II (2018)
** Johor Darul Ta'zim II (2019)
** PDRM (2023)
** Selangor (2024–25)
* Most appearances in a final: 2, joint record:
** UKM FC (2018, 2019)
** PDRM (2023, 2024–25)
* Most defeats in a final: 2, UKM FC (2018, 2019)
* Biggest win in a final: 4 goals, PDRM 0–4 Selangor in the second leg (2024–25)
* Most goals in a final: 4, joint record:
** UKM FC 2–2 Terengganu II in the first leg (2018)
** PDRM 0–4 Selangor in the second leg (2024–25)

### Head coaches
#### List of winning head coaches

List of MFL Challenge Cup winning head coaches :
| Season | Winning head coach | Team |
| 2018 | Mustaffa Kamal | Terengganu II |
| 2019 | Ervin Boban | Johor Darul Ta'zim II |
| 2023 | Yunus Alif | PDRM |
| 2024–25 | Katsuhito Kinoshi | Selangor |

### Players
#### List of top goalscorers

List of MFL Challenge Cup top goalscorers :
| Season | Player | Team | Goals |
| 2018 | Michael Chukwubunna Ijezie | UKM FC | 13 |
| 2019 | Bruno Suzuki | Terengganu II | 6 |
| 2019 | Mateo Roskam | UKM FC | 6 |
| 2019 | Milad Zanidpour | UKM FC | 6 |
| 2023 | Uche Agba | PDRM | 5 |
| 2024–25 | Ronnie Fernández | Selangor | 4 |

## Awards
### Player of The Tournament

Officially known as MASKargo Player of The Tournament for sponsorship reasons, it is awarded to the overall best player of the season.
List of MFL Challenge Cup POTT :
| Season | Player | Team |
| 2024–25 | Ronnie Fernández | Selangor |