The 2023 Merdeka Tournament was the 42nd edition of the tournament which was organised by the Football Association of Malaysia. The tournament, which featured three participants, took place between 13 and 17 October.
| Pesta Bola Merdeka | |
|---|---|
| Tournament details | |
| Host country | Malaysia |
| Dates | 13–17 October 2023 |
| Teams | 3 (from 1 confederation) |
| Venue(s) | 1 (in 1 host city) |
| Final positions | |
| Champions |  Tajikistan (1st title) |
| Runners-up |  Malaysia |
| Third place |  India |
| Tournament statistics | |
| Matches played | 2 |
| Goals scored | 8 (4 per match) |
| Attendance | 82,708 (41,354 per match) |
← 2013 2024 → | |
Tajikistan emerged as the champion of the tournament for their first title after beating host Malaysia 2–0 at the final.[1][2]
Participating nations
editThe teams were announced by the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) in March 2023.[3][4] The draw took place on 8 August 2023.[5] However, Lebanon later pulled out of the tournament due to the 2026 World Cup qualifying draws putting them in the same group with Palestine, later replaced by Tajikistan.[6][7]
Due to the 2023 Israel–Hamas war, Palestine has decided to withdraw three days prior to the tournament.[8]
The following are the FIFA Rankings of the participating national teams, as of 21 September 2023.[9]
Palestine (97) (withdrew)
Lebanon (101) (withdrew)
India (102)
Tajikistan (110)
Malaysia (134)
Venue
editAll matches were played at the Bukit Jalil National Stadium in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.[4][10]
| Kuala Lumpur | |
|---|---|
| Bukit Jalil National Stadium | |
| Capacity: 87,411 | |
Matches
editMatch rule
edit- 90 minutes.
- Penalty shoot-out after a draw in 90 minutes.
- Maximum of five substitutions.
Bracket
edit| Semi-finals | Final | |||||
| 13 October – Bukit Jalil National Stadium | ||||||
| Malaysia | 4 | |||||
| 17 October – Bukit Jalil National Stadium | ||||||
| India | 2 | |||||
| Malaysia | 0 | |||||
| 13 October – Bukit Jalil National Stadium | ||||||
| Tajikistan | 2 | |||||
 Palestine | ||||||
| Tajikistan | w/o | |||||
Semi-finals
edit| Malaysia | 4–2 | India |
|---|---|---|
|
Report (Olympics.com) Report (FAM) |
Final
editWinners
edit| 2023 Merdeka Tournament Winner |
|---|
 Tajikistan 1st title |
Goalscorers
editThere were 8 goals scored in 2 matches, for an average of 4 goals per match.
1 goal
References
edit- ^ "Сборная Таджикистана – победитель «Кубка Мердека-2023»" [Tajikistan national team is the winner of the Merdeka Cup 2023]. Pressa.tj (in Russian). 15 October 2023. Retrieved 20 October 2023.
- ^ "Tajikistan beat Malaysia 2-0 to win 42nd edition of Merdeka Tournament". Bernama. 18 October 2023. Retrieved 21 October 2023 – via The Borneo Post.
- ^ Rajan, K. (8 August 2023). "Palestine, Lebanon and India sign up for Merdeka Tournament". New Straits Times. Archived from the original on 12 July 2023. Retrieved 8 August 2023.
- ^ a b "Siaran Media: Jualan ticket Pestabola Merdeka 2023 edisi ke-42 Bermula 9 Ogos". fam.org.my (in Malay). 5 August 2023. Archived from the original on 6 August 2023. Retrieved 8 August 2023.
- ^ "India drawn against hosts Malaysia in Merdeka Tournament 2023". the-aiff.com. Archived from the original on 8 August 2023. Retrieved 8 August 2023.
- ^ "Tajikistan replace Lebanon in Merdeka Cup 2023". Khel Now. Retrieved 18 August 2023.
- ^ "Tajikistan replaces Lebanon at Merdeka Tournament". New Straits Times. 18 August 2023. Retrieved 18 August 2023.
- ^ "SIARAN MEDIA: PALESTIN SAH TARIK DIRI, FAM KEKAL FORMAT PESTABOLA MERDEKA 2023 | FAM". fam.org.my (in Malay). Retrieved 10 October 2023.
- ^ "FIFA men's football team rankings". www.fifa.com. 22 December 2022. Archived from the original on 15 July 2018. Retrieved 6 March 2023.
- ^ Guha, Sayantan (5 April 2023). "Malaysia FA confirms India's participation in Merdeka Cup 2023; tournament to be held from October 14 to 17". sportskeeda.com. Archived from the original on 4 July 2023. Retrieved 8 August 2023.