5 Interesting Facts about the Malaysian National Football Team
April 8, 2019
Football is undoubtedly the most popular sport in Malaysia. The round leather game became widely known in the Asian nation during the early 1900s.
Since then, the national team was founded in 1963 and has gone on record many fascinating achievements.
How well do you know the Malaysian national football team? Find out some interesting facts about the Malaysian National football team.
1. Their Nickname
The Malaysian football national team is nicknamed Harimau Malaya, which is gotten from the Malayan tiger.
The Malayan tiger (Panthera tigris Tigris) is a group of tiger found in Peninsular Malaysia. This group of tigers is usually seen in the southern and central parts of the Malay Peninsula. The Malayan tiger symbolizes bravery and strength to Malaysians.
2. Home Stadium
The main stadium for the Malaysian national team is the Bukit Jalil National Stadium. The stadium has a seating capacity of 87,411. Did you know that the Bukit Jalil stadium is the seventh largest football stadium in the world?
Bukit Jalil was established on 11 September 1996 and renovated in January 2017.
3. Achievements
The Malaysian football team has never qualified for the FIFA World Cup. They have played in the Asian Cup three times. They won the bronze medal in the Asian Games in 1974 and won the Southeast Asian Games thrice in 1977, 1979 and 1989.
4. Supporters
The Malaysian people have a lot of support from their citizens. The major supporters of the national team are called the Ultras Malaya.
The Ultras Malaya is known to be diehard fans with so much tenacity and fanaticism. They are usually present in every international match the national team plays; The supporters can be easily spotted with their colors, which are black clothing with a yellow scarf and banners.
5. Team kit
The Malaysian national football team was formally produced by Adidas, but in 2007, Nike started to manufacture Kits for them. In their kit, Nike used the Malaysian flag as their logo instead of the Football Association of Malaysia logo. Here’s an interesting fact. On the underside of the flag, there is a quote written there which says: “Tanah Tumpahnya Darahku,” which means: The land that I spill my blood for. The quote is derived from the Malaysia National Anthem, implying that they are doing their best for the country.
Also Read:
Why are football fans losing interest in Sarawak FA?
Serie A Match Preview: Juventus vs. AC Milan
La Liga Match Preview: Barcelona vs. Atletico Madrid
This article is brought to us by our Sports Writers Club resident columnist – Collins Michael Nwokolo. Follow him on Twitter and Pinterest.
