Soccer, or more commonly referred to as football in Malaysia, is without a doubt has to be one of the most popular sports out there today. Hence, it is no surprise that Malaysians are a big fan of football. For the very uninitiated or those who may be unsure given that American football is similar to rugby, football in Malaysia is referred to as the sport whereby players attempt to kick a ball into the net or goal of the other team using mainly their feet. Usage of the head, chest and thighs is acceptable but hands are prohibited unless you are the goalkeeper, the person who mans the goal post from incoming attacks.
You can watch football everywhere
In Malaysia, there are places called mamak stalls where most football-enthusiast gather to watch exciting matches together. Both young and old can be found here, cheering for their team, making new friends while enjoying some of Malaysia’s delights such as the roti canai and teh tarik. The enthusiasm and cheering from this group can be matched to those at the World Cup itself! If you ever have the chance, you should try to participate in one of these events. However, you better go early as during important matches, don’t expect there to be any seats left.
The best thing about these mamak stalls is that they are opened until the wee hours of the morning, some for even 24 hours, so you can watch matches at any time of the day. It’s massive popularity among locals can also be explained due to the popularity of betting platforms like 1Win, where people can bet on pretty much every football match that is played (even friendly matches).
During World Cups many bars and even restaurants stay open for football matches. During the last World Cup in Germany locals, tourists and expatriates watched matches deep into the night.
Highly popular to watch and to play in Malaysia
It’s not only a matter of watching every single match, foreign and local, football is also one of the most played sports in Malaysia. Every school is bound to have a football field where students can play football here during their Physical Education as well as after school. Most housing areas also have football fields. During the evenings, it is very common to see people playing football on the fields. Football is so famous here that even if there is no ball or field, it can be played with a crushed plastic bottle or tin cans. This is a sight you can often see in schools where students who are waiting for busses or parents to pick them up.
Often preference of international teams above local teams
Ironically, even though Malaysians are very into football, they are sometimes quite ignorant of the local teams. Ask a random person to name some players from the national squad and you most likely won’t even get three. However, ask that same person to name any 3 players from any international squad and they can most likely name more than half the team. It may be the lack of achievements, or that international football like the English Premier League have better press coverage. Fortunately, over the past few years more people are getting aware of and the supporting the ‘Harimau Malaya’ or Malaysian Tigers.
Malaysia’s future on the world football stage
All in all, football has become a part of the Malaysia culture. Be it from watching the matches from the comfort of your home, or playing football with a used plastic bottle, football is no doubt a part of the Malaysian life. Although Malaysia does not have many professional football players currently, with the ever growing interest in football in Malaysia, in the future, this may change. Maybe one day Malaysians will be rooting for the national squad at the World Cup which is believed to be every Malaysian football enthusiast’s dream.
tom hansky
1 month ago
September 9, 2024 at 3:24 am
A country with a passion for sports bob the robber. The sports industry in this country is also extremely developed.