Singapore set to play in Malaysia Cup next year

Soccer diehards can look forward to cheering a Singapore Lions team when they make a return to the Malaysia Cup next year.

Over the next four years, the Republic will field a team to participate in the annual competition.

That was one of the key aspects included under the joint-partnership agreement between the football federation bodies of Singapore and Malaysia.

On Tuesday, the Football Association of Singapore (FAS) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) in a landmark partnership.

Singapore last played in the Malaysia Cup in 1994 and withdrew from the competition following a dispute with the FAM over gate receipts.

The signing ceremony which took place at the Wisma FAM in Selangor, was attended by a Singapore delegation led by FAS president Zainudin Nordin while the Malaysian side was represented by FAM deputy president, Tengku Abdullah.

Speaking at the press conference, Zainudin expressed confidence that the agreement will improve relations of both associations.

"There is always a special romance between Singapore and Malaysia football. I am pleased with this football partnership and am confident that it will further strengthen our ties with the FAM."

Meanwhile, his counterpart Tengku Abdullah said the tie-up will have a positive impact on the Malaysian players, especially the youth, and allow them to gain exposure in the S-League.

"It certainly gives a positive impact to Malaysia. Especially amongst our youth players. It is a big opportunity for our players to gain exposure in the S-League and at the same time, the Singapore Lions will have the same opportunities in our Malaysian Super League.

"With this agreement, we hope that this will open the door for many more collaborations in future," he said.

Yahoo! Singapore understands that the two football bodies have been discussing the partnership for a few months, but the FAS was unable to comment when the agreement was first brokered and when it was reached.

Apart from the Malaysia Cup, Singapore will also participate in the Malaysian Super League and the FA Cup.

History will also be created with a Malaysian team participating in the S-League. It will also compete in the League and Singapore Cup.

Under the MOU, both teams will consist national players below the age of 23, five players above the age of 23 and will also be complimented by the quota of foreign players allowed in line with the competition rules.

Another key initiative includes organising frequent competitive matches between the national and youth teams from both countries.

The move will not only allow both countries to further develop the quality of their football, said the FAS, but also foster closer ties between the teams from both countries and strengthen the relationship of both associations.

Another aspect of the partnership is the "FAM and FAS Series", comprising two tournaments titled the League Champions Challenge and the Cup Winners Challenge which will be held annually over the four years.

The League Champions Challenge will see the winners of the S-League and the Malaysia Super League battle it out in a home-and-away format.

Meanwhile, the Cup Winners Challenge will see a match between the respective champions of the Singapore Cup and Malaysia Cup. The same home-and-away format will also be applied.

However, both associations agreed that in the event that the champions of the league or cup is a foreign team, FAS and FAM will select a local team that came in second to participate in this series.

While Zainudin pointed out that the key aspects of the partnership cannot be achieved overnight, he said that both FAS and FAM will form a working committee to confirm all of the operational details and will host another media briefing to share the completed reports.

Singapore has participated in the Malaysia Cup since its inception in 1921. It was then known as the Malaya Cup, and the Lions won the title an impressive 24 times - the second most successful side in the competition's history after Selangor, with 32.

The last time the Lions played in the competition was in 1994, when the star-studded Lions -- led by coach Douglas Moore and captain Fandi Ahmad -- thumped Pahang 4-0 to win the coveted trophy.