KUALA LUMPUR — Harimau Malaya fans will finally be able to watch Malaysia’s opening FIFA Asean Cup match live after Radio Televisyen Malaysia (RTM) confirmed today that it will broadcast the national team’s clash against Bangladesh tomorrow.
The announcement ends days of uncertainty over the broadcast arrangements for the inaugural FIFA Asean Cup, with supporters previously left without official confirmation on where they could watch Malaysia’s matches.
RTM confirmed the live coverage through a post on its official Facebook page today, announcing an exclusive broadcast of the Malaysia-Bangladesh encounter from Jakarta.
“FIFA Asean Cup. Catch the exclusive live broadcast of Malaysia’s match against Bangladesh on RTM,” RTM said in the post.
The confirmation came just a day before kick-off, giving supporters clarity on how they can follow Harimau Malaya’s opening fixture.
The announcement was met with a positive response from football fans, with several supporters taking to the comments section of RTM’s post to thank the broadcaster for bringing the national team’s campaign to Malaysian viewers.
Tomorrow’s match is also expected to attract attention with Johor Darul Ta’zim striker Bergson da Silva among the new faces in Tan Cheng Hoe’s squad for the tournament. Bergson, along with Manuel Hidalgo and Brad Tapp, is part of the new-look Malaysia squad for the inaugural competition.
The broadcast arrangements had remained unclear ahead of the tournament, leaving supporters uncertain whether Harimau Malaya’s matches would be available on television, through streaming platforms, or both.
RTM’s announcement has now removed that uncertainty ahead of Malaysia’s first Group A fixture.
The FIFA Asean Cup, organised by FIFA, runs from Sept 25 to Oct 5, with matches being played in Jakarta and Bandung, Indonesia. Malaysia are in Group A alongside hosts Indonesia, Singapore and Bangladesh.
Tan Cheng Hoe’s side will face Bangladesh at the Gelora Bung Karno Stadium in Jakarta tomorrow before taking on Indonesia on Sept 28 and Singapore in Bandung on Oct 1.
The Bangladesh-Malaysia match is scheduled to kick off at 4pm local time in Jakarta, which is 5pm Malaysian time.
The tournament is also an important assignment for Cheng Hoe, who is serving as Harimau Malaya’s interim head coach.
Cheng Hoe has said his immediate focus is on getting the best out of the squad and rebuilding supporters’ confidence during the tournament.
With the broadcast arrangements now confirmed, Malaysian fans can turn their attention to the action as Harimau Malaya begin their FIFA Asean Cup campaign against Bangladesh. — September 24, 2026