KUALA LUMPUR – The Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) has confirmed that four Super League clubs did not register their youth teams for the current season’s President’s Cup and Youth Cup tournaments.
FAM’s confirmation came after a reliable source within the football fraternity told Scoop that some clubs have opted out of FAM’s annual competitions because they were unable to adequately prepare their teams and secure the required funding.
According to the source, certain state teams expressed dissatisfaction with the reportedly irregular schedules for the tournaments.
Speaking to Scoop, FAM secretary-general Datuk Noor Azman Rahman revealed that Sri Pahang FC, Kedah FC, Perak FC, and Kelantan FC did not register their youth teams for the President’s Cup and the Youth Cup.
Azman also said that FAM hopes that Pahang, Kedah, and Perak will address their issues and register their teams for the current season.
In the case of Kelantan, the FAM has not reached out to them because the state football association is currently suspended.
“Indeed, it is true that four teams from the 2024-2025 Super League have not signed up their youth squads for the upcoming President’s Cup and Youth Cup events.
“At this stage, the FAM can take proactive steps by engaging in discussions with the clubs to identify their challenges and ensure they take part this year.
“The President’s Cup and Youth Cup play an important role for clubs in the Malaysian League. These tournaments help ensure that clubs establish their own development programs. The players participating—those under 20 for the President’s Cup and under 18 for the Youth Cup—represent the future of their senior teams.
“Having more teams in the President’s Cup and Youth Cup is crucial for enhancing our national youth teams, including the U-20/U-19 and U-18/U-17 squads. A larger number of teams provides a bigger pool of players to choose from for the national teams.
“We aim to prevent similar problems from happening in the future and will not hesitate to impose strict penalties on clubs that do not comply. Participation in the President’s Cup and Youth Cup is mandatory for all Super League clubs,” Azman said when contacted.
The FAM President’s Cup is an under-21 tournament that started in 1985, and the FAM Youth Cup is an under-18 tournament that was introduced in 2008.
As of now, the following teams have confirmed their participation in this season’s President’s Cup: Johor Darul Ta’zim III, Akademi Mokhtar Dahari (AMD) U17, Kuala Lumpur City U20, Kuching City FC U20, Melaka FA U20, Negeri Sembilan FC U20, PDRM FC U20, Penang FC II, Sabah FC II, Terengganu FC U20, and Selangor FC U20.
At the same time, the teams that will compete in this season’s Youth Cup include AMD U16, AMD, Johor Darul Ta’zim IV, Johor Darul Ta’zim V, Kuala Lumpur City U18, Kuching City FC U18, Melaka FA U18, Negeri Sembilan FC U18, PDRM FC U18, Penang FC III, Sabah FC III, Selangor FC U18, SSTMI U17, and Terengganu FC U18. – April 22, 2025