Malaysia Challenge Cup


The Malaysia Challenge Cup is a Malaysian football competition, held under the auspices of Football Malaysia Limited Liability Partnership and Football Association of Malaysia.
The tournament was created for Malaysia Super League and Malaysia Premier League teams that do not qualify to the Malaysia Cup tournament through their league standings at the end of the league season. The idea was mooted by Football Malaysia on December 2017 as a solution of inactivity of teams not qualified to the more prestigious Malaysia Cup. Observers such as FourFourTwo Malaysia sees benefits of 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 team in preparation for the next season.
The inaugural tournament was held in 2018, with 8 teams divided into 2 groups of four teams and playing a double round-robin system games. The winners and runners-up of each group qualify to knockout round, each rounds is held on a home and away basis including the final. The tournament is held concurrently with Malaysia Cup, with Challenge Cup games played in midweek as opposed to Malaysia Cup games played at the weekends.
The future tournament winners may receive a slot in the Malaysia Cup, based on the success of Challenge Cup, and restructuring of Malaysia Cup qualification.

Selection of teams

From the 2018 edition, teams that finished last of the Malaysia Super League, and teams that finished sixth-placed to twelfth-placed team in the Malaysia Premier League qualified to the tournament, but as Kuantan FA has been ejected in the middle of the league season, FAM invited ATM FA, the highest positioned 2018 Malaysia FAM Cup team that does not qualify to the FAM Cup knock-out stage.

Results

Successful teams

Awards

Top scorers