Johor Bahru (Malaysia) (AFP) – A wealthy prince and some astute promotion involving US rapper Snoop Dogg have helped turn Malaysia's Johor Darul Ta'zim from footballing minnows into one of Asia's top clubs. The club, commonly known as JDT, has its roots in the former Johor FC and other clubs in the southern state, who […]

Kuala Lumpur (AFP) – A drive to ramp up Malaysia's footballing fortunes with naturalised players has failed, critics say, with the national team no nearer a first World Cup appearance and soul-searching about the state of the game in the country. Football is among the most popular sports in the nation of more than 30 […]

Kuala Lumpur (AFP) – An Asian Cup qualifier between Malaysia and North Korea which was postponed after their diplomatic ties soured will now be held on June 8, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) announced Wednesday. The killing of Kim Jong-Nam in Kuala Lumpur International Airport last month triggered a bitter row between Malaysia and North […]

Kuala Lumpur (AFP) – Malaysia has banned its football team from playing an Asian Cup match in Pyongyang citing security threats as diplomatic relations between the two countries soured dramatically after the killing of Kim Jong-Nam, officials said Monday. Kim, the estranged half brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un, was poisoned with the deadly […]

Kuala Lumpur (AFP) – Malaysian football fans were elated Tuesday to wake up to the news that their countryman had won FIFA's goal of the year award for his extraordinary swerving free-kick. Midfielder Mohamad Faiz Subri's cracker for Penang state in the Malaysian Super League in February, reminiscent of the swerving thunderbolt by Brazil's Roberto […]

Kuala Lumpur (AFP) – A Malaysian footballer has beaten the likes of Neymar and Messi to score a place in FIFA's shortlist for top three goals of the year.  Midfielder Mohamad Faiz Subri's cracker of a free kick for Penang state in the Malaysian Super League in February was reminiscent of the swerving thunderbolt by […]

Yangon (AFP) – A late goal by Nguyen Trong Hoang gave Vietnam a narrow victory over Malaysia in the Suzuki Cup on Wednesday, thrusting his side into the semi-finals. The forward, a rising star in Vietnam's domestic league, secured his country's second win in three days on 80 minutes when he danced between two Malaysian […]

Kuala Lumpur (AFP) – Malaysian football authorities on Wednesday called on a former FIFA official to provide evidence after he claimed the country had become the hub for match-fixing in Southeast Asia. Chris Eaton, an independent industry consultant and FIFA's former security chief, said Tuesday that Malaysia had overtaken Singapore in match-fixing following a crackdown […]

Kuala Lumpur (AFP) – War-torn Syria's World Cup qualifier with South Korea has been moved to Malaysia, the Asian Football Confederation said on Thursday, after Macau was a late withdrawal as host. A breakdown in talks between Syria and Macau threw preparations for Tuesday's game into disarray, with South Korea forced to cancel their bookings for […]

Kuala Lumpur (AFP) – Malaysia has relinquished the rights to host the 2017 FIFA Congress, a sports official said Monday after the predominantly Muslim country refused to issue visas to Israeli delegates. "We were advised by the government to withdraw from hosting the congress due to security issues," Affandi Hamzah, deputy president of the Football […]

After my unsuccessful quest to watch a Premier League match in my one night stay in Hong Kong, I wanted to see what the soccer world had to offer in Malaysia. In terms of trying to find soccer, Malaysia was a game of two halves; the hustle and bustle of the city and the peaceful […]