Malaysian Football League(MFL) has selected Sultan Ibrahim Stadium, Iskandar Puteri to be a venue for Piala FA Malaysia 2023 final on 22 July 2023.
Malaysian Football League (MFL) has confirmed that it has only received a bid from the Johor Darul Ta’zim (JDT) club to make the Sultan Ibrahim Stadium (SSI) the venue for the 2023 FA Cup Final after the bidding process closed on (24 May 2023) at 5.00 pm.
Previously MF has determined that the venue selection for the 2023 FA Cup Final will be made through an open bid to all Malaysia League 2023 clubs starting 19 May 2023.
MFL in a statement informed that the selection was made after taking into account the current development of the Bukit Jalil National Stadium (SNBJ) which cannot be used for the 2023 FA Cup final scheduled to take place on 22 July 2023.
“SNBJ is still in the process of improvement until October so the MFL will not be able to use the stadium for the FA Cup final this time.”
“Although it has been considered, the MFL also cannot postpone the match given the constraints of the competition calendar after October which is packed during that period with the final round of Super League matches, the start of both the Malaysia Cup and the MFL Challenge Cup 2023 and there are also important dates involving assignments national team internationals (FIFA days), the AFC Champions League competition and the AFC Cup which starts next September to December,” explained MFL.
In the bid period that was opened on 19 May 2023 to 24 May 2023, only JDT submitted an application where no bid was received by the MFL from other clubs or applied for an extension of the bid period even though reminders had been given to all clubs.
In order to qualify for the bid, the club and the named match venue must comply with the conditions set by the MFL as stipulated in the Malaysian League Manual 2023.
In the bidding process, the MFL provides 11 main compliance areas and among the sub-criteria for venue eligibility that has been set is;
• Local government support as well as local authorities and security.
• The readiness of existing stadiums and facilities to host large-scale finals with technical and operational facilities appropriate to the occasion.
• Provision of a training ground that complies with MFL regulations for the use of both teams and refereeing groups.
• Good field surface and ready for any weather conditions and lighting required.
• Logistical preparation for MFL official broadcasters
• Unhindered use of the stadium and surrounding area before and after the match.
• Responsible for security aspects including providing and deploying security personnel and venue personnel.
Following no bids received from other clubs other than JDT, the MFL confirmed that SSI has been selected as the venue for the 2023 FA Cup Final.
However, any changes regarding the venue selection for the 2023 FA Cup Final are subject to the decision of the MFL Board of Directors.
Credit Photo : Emmer Farid/SNE-Photo
