Singapore to field a team in M-League, Malaysia Cup

Source

SELANGOR - The Football Association of Singapore (FAS) and their counterparts, the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM), announced a major collaboration today at the FAM headquarters in Selangor, at the signing of a four-year memorandum of understanding (MOU) starting next year.

The first of three major points of the MOU will see the Malaysian under-23 side, the Malaysian Tigers, play in the S-League and Singapore's two local cup competitions, while a Singapore Lions team - made up of 25 under-23 players, five senior players and an option of utilising three foreign players - will ply their trade in the Malaysian Super League and its two domestic cup competitions from next year.

A new competition, the annual FAS-FAM series, has also been conceived, pitting the S-League champions against their Malaysian counterparts in a home-and-away affair; with a similar tie lined up between the Singapore Cup winners and the victors of the Malaysia Cup.

The third key point of collaboration will see an increase in the number of international friendlies between the two countries - from the youth levels through to the senior national teams.

The slew of changes that will sweep through Singapore and Malaysian football will also affect the domestic football scene: S-League matches will, from next year, only be played between Friday and Sunday; and may see the first time the League kicks off with 13 teams, with the FAS considering keeping the Courts Young Lions team in the competition.



Key points

Starting from 2012:

1. Malaysian Tigers will play in the S-League, League Cup and Singapore Cup, and they will receive some subsidies from the FAS similar to that of other foreign clubs. The Singapore Lions will play in the Malaysian Super League, Malaysian FA Cup and Malaysia Cup.

Both teams will be made up of under-23 players, five senior players, and have the option of utilising foreign players based on the rules of the respective leagues.

2. The start of an annual FAS-FAM series that will see the S-League champions face Malaysian Super League champions; while the Singapore Cup winners will face the Malaysia Cup winners. Both games are home-and-away fixtures.

3. An increase in the number of international friendlies between the two countries from youth to senior level.

4. The S-League will see some changes: Matchdays will be shifted to take place only between Friday and Sunday, while it may see the first time the S-League kicks off with 13 teams as the Courts Young Lions may be retained to compete in the S-League.