Latest news with #M-League
New Straits Times
5 days ago
- Sport
- New Straits Times
Brunei club sign Syafiq Ahmad
KUALA LUMPUR: Brunei club DPMM have signed striker Syafiq Ahmad ahead of their 2025-2026 M-League debut. The 29-year-old Johor Darul Ta'zim forward, who was loaned to Kedah last season, was called up to the national team twice during the year. "Syafiq has decided to join DPMM for the upcoming M-League season," the club confirmed in a statement. DPMM have earlier recruited Brazilian midfielder Kaio Santos da Silva, North Macedonian goalkeeper Kristijan Naumovski, Icelandic defender Damir Muminovic, Indonesian hotshot Ramadhan Sananta, Philippines international defender Amani Aguinaldo and left-back Tommy Mawat from Perak.
New Straits Times
11-07-2025
- Sport
- New Straits Times
FAM credits JDT for strengthening Harimau Malaya
KUALA LUMPUR: The wealth of talent in the Johor Darul Ta'zim (JDT) team has been a blessing for Harimau Malaya on the international stage. JDT's pool of talented local and naturalised players has helped raise the standards of Harimau Malaya, contributing to the team's climb of six spots to No. 125 in the latest FIFA world rankings. FA of Malaysia (FAM) deputy president Datuk Yusoff Mahadi said this also benefits Harimau Malaya coach Peter Cklamovski when it comes to closely monitoring the performances of the national players, a majority of whom represent JDT. "The presence of JDT players only strengthens the national squad," he told reporters at the FAM-Bank Islam Malaysia Berhad strategic cooperation signing ceremony on Friday. JDT, who have won the Super League 11 consecutive times, recently signed four new heritage players — midfielder Nacho Mendez, striker Joao Figueiredo, defender Jon Irazabal and midfielder Hector Hevel — for the 2025-2026 M-League season. Figueiredo, Irazabal and Hevel were in the squad when Harimau Malaya thrashed Vietnam 4-0 in Bukit Jalil in last month's Asian Cup qualifier. Asked whether JDT's overwhelming depth created an unfair advantage over other M-League clubs, Yusoff acknowledged the disparity. "Yes, they are far ahead domestically. But JDT are competing at the highest level — the Asian Champions League Elite — and are aiming for the Club World Cup. "They had to recruit accordingly," he said. "From the national team's perspective, we must take full advantage. JDT's preparation is clearly top-notch, and having so many talented, skilful players in one club gives us a solid platform to build a strong Harimau Malaya."
The Star
10-07-2025
- Sport
- The Star
State to prioritise nurturing local football talents
Selangor is adopting a hybrid model for its football development, with priority placed on nurturing local talents. State youth, sports and entrepreneurship committee chairman Mohd Najwan Halimi said though recruiting heritage players with international exposure could improve the performance of Selangor Football Club (SFC) at both domestic and regional levels, it risked increasing the team's expenses and negatively impacting local football's identity. Heritage players are those with blood ties to Malaysia. 'SFC believes that the hybrid model is more sustainable, as it can increase the team's competitiveness while preserving its identity among Selangor folk,' he said during the Selangor State Assembly sitting at Bangunan Dewan Negeri Selangor in Shah Alam. Mohd Najwan: Hybrid model can increase Selangor Football Club's competitiveness. He was responding to a question by Noor Najhan Mohamad Salleh (PN-Sementa) on whether Selangor government and SFC would consider recruiting heritage players from Europe to enhance the state's football team to a level that could win the Malaysian League (M-League). Mohd Najwan said various initiatives were currently underway to bridge the disparity in skill levels between heritage and local players. 'Selangor Football Association, through various development programmes for coaches, referees and amateur players as well as state-level football leagues for various age groups, has built a strong foundation for nurturing local talents. 'SFC, on the other hand, focuses on talent scouting and development of elite-level coaches. 'This ensures that the best local players across all age groups can be identified and exposed to high-quality training. 'SFC also fosters strategic relationships with professional football clubs in Asia and Europe so that the best players in Selangor can gain international exposure to bridge the gap between local and international players,' he said. On July 9, the Malaysian Football League announced an amendment to the foreign player ruling for the M-League 2025-2026 season, reducing the number of foreign players allowed on the pitch to six, from the previously announced seven. The new season is slated to start on Aug 8.
New Straits Times
10-07-2025
- Sport
- New Straits Times
MFL's foreign player tweak benefits the rich in the Super League
KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysian Football League's (MFL) recent adjustment to its foreign player quota has sparked discussion among football observers, with some suggesting that the timing and structure of the change may benefit certain teams more than others. Football critic Datuk Dr Pekan Ramli said the decision to reduce the number of foreign players allowed in the starting XI from seven to six, while maintaining the registration cap at 15, deserves closer scrutiny. "This isn't just about numbers, it's also about planning," said Pekan. "Removing the second Asean player from the on-field quota appears neutral, but it may shift the balance in subtle ways that favour certain teams." Under the revised rule, teams may still register 15 foreign players, but only six can be fielded at once — comprising four open-quota imports, one from Asia and one from Asean. The main change is the reduction of Asean players on the pitch from two to one. While the revision appears modest on paper, Pekan believes it may unintentionally favour clubs with deeper resources and a stronger foreign player base. "Some teams already have heritage or naturalised players who play key roles. In such situations, there may be little incentive to field Asean imports who are of similar quality to local players," he explained. He also noted that some fans have questioned the timing of the rule change, which comes just over three weeks before the M-League kicks off on Aug 8. "Although MFL has provided its reasons, changes this close to the season can affect club planning. Not all teams have the flexibility to adapt quickly in terms of squad depth or tactics," he said. "This could impact player confidence, team chemistry, and overall preparedness." Pekan further pointed out that the aim of creating more space for local-born players might not materialise, since naturalised players are already classified as locals under the rules. "Removing one Asean slot doesn't necessarily mean more Malaysian-born players will get minutes. In many cases, those positions could go to naturalised players, who are still imports in nature — just not on paper." He also observed that Asean players, while comparable in quality to Malaysian players, play an important role in balancing squads for clubs with limited resources. "For smaller teams, the removal of that extra Asean slot could represent a lost opportunity to maintain squad balance. Stronger clubs may now bring in higher-quality imports instead." On a positive note, Pekan welcomed MFL's decision to release a full season's calendar ahead of time — a move aimed at improving planning and transparency. However, he also urged the league to be mindful of how timing and communication around regulatory changes affect clubs and stakeholders.
The Sun
09-07-2025
- Business
- The Sun
Only six foreigners allowed in matchday line-up under new MFL rule
THE Malaysian Football League (MFL) today announced an amendment to the foreign player ruling for the Malaysia League (M-League) 2025–2026 season, reducing the number of foreign players allowed on the pitch to six, from the previously announced seven. The decision was made following the 14th MFL Board of Directors (BOD) Meeting for the 2021–2025 term, taking into consideration the impact on the league and the development of local players. In a statement, MFL said the revised foreign player quota will now be 6+3 (substitutes), with a composition of 4 World + 1 Asia + 1 ASEAN players, compared to the previous 7+2 (substitutes) of 4 World + 1 Asia + 2 ASEAN. 'The decision to reduce one foreign player on the pitch is seen as a step towards balancing local and foreign players in the starting eleven on matchday. 'MFL believes that while foreign players add appeal and competitiveness to the league, developing local talent remains a core agenda to support the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) in strengthening the Harimau Malaya squad,' the statement added. MFL said the decision also followed feedback from clubs, many of whom felt that additional ASEAN players had little impact on team performance. However, the total number of foreign players a club can register remains at 15. 'Clubs are not obligated to fill the foreign quota, as it depends on their specific needs and financial capacity. 'This is in line with the monitoring of club spending under the Financial Fair Play (FFP) framework, which will enforce a salary cap mechanism limiting player wages to 80 per cent of each club's budget,' it said. In another development, MFL announced the M-League 2025–2026 calendar, with the season kicking off on Aug 8 with the Charity Shield match between Johor Darul Ta'zim (JDT) and Selangor FC at the Sultan Ibrahim Stadium — which also doubles as the Super League's opening match. According to MFL, the Super League season is expected to end on May 16, 2026 — a 10-month run compared to the 14-month transitional season previously. 'The FA Cup is scheduled to begin on August 15, 2025, with the final set for December 14, 2025. 'The prestigious Malaysia Cup will kick off on January 17, 2026, with the final slated for May 23, 2026,' it added. Meanwhile, the MFL Challenge Cup will begin on February 6, 2026, with the two-legged final matches scheduled for April 4 and April 18, 2026. 'This season, MFL has released the full-season calendar at once, unlike last season's phased announcement. However, adjustments may still be needed due to the AFC's upcoming draw for the AFC Champions League Elite (ACLE) and AFC Champions League 2 (ACL2) on August 15, involving JDT and Selangor FC. 'In addition, both clubs will also participate in the ASEAN Club Championship, with the complete match schedule only released yesterday by the AFF, which has delayed MFL's ability to finalise the M-League calendar earlier for clubs and supporters,' it said. - Bernama
