UKM F.C.

UKM
Full name	Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Football Club
Nickname(s)	The Varsity Boys
Short name	UKMFC
Founded	2013; 11 years ago
Ground	Kuala Lumpur Stadium
Capacity	18,000
Owner	National University of Malaysia
Chairman	Noor Azlan Ghazali

Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Football Club is a football club based in Bangi, Selangor, Malaysia.^[1]^[2] The club represents the National University of Malaysia.

History

Early years

The club was founded in 2013.^[2] They have been competing in Malaysian Institutes of Higher Education Football League and has won several college football competitions.^[1] UKM who won the Minister of Higher Education Ministry Cup and runners-up of Division One University Football League in 2014, was automatically eligible to join the 2015 Malaysia FAM League. Their place in Minister of Higher Education Ministry League was taken over by the MMU, 2014 Minister of Higher Education Division Two University Football League champion.^[3]^[4]

In 2015, the club has been accepted by Football Association of Malaysia to compete in Malaysia FAM League, the third-tier of Malaysian football.^[2]^[5] The club also collaborated with Sime Darby to provide a youth players for the Sime Darby youth team which competed in Malaysia President's Cup.^[6]^[7]

2015 season

After successfully bringing UKM to be the champion of the Minister of Higher Education Ministry Cup and the runner-up of the University Football League Division 1, Sulaiman Hussin moved to Sime Darby and joined the President's Cup squad coaching. Asnan Mohamad Zuki, who led University of Malaya to become the Minister of Higher Education Ministry Cup 2013 champion after beating UKM, was appointed as the UKM FC coach. On their first season in Malaysia FAM League, they finished in fourth place behind Perlis, Real Mulia and Megah Murni. Only one team from each league promoted into 2016 Malaysia Premier League, and Perlis became runners-up of Malaysia FAM League that season after lost into Melaka United.

UKM FC vice captain, Hafizuddin Sulaiman became top goalscorers of the club after scoring 8 goals - even he played as the defender.

2016 season

UKM FC appointed Lim Kim Liang, ex Kuala Lumpur head coach and brought back Sulaiman Hussin as assistant head coach. They missed the spot into knock-out stage, as they finished fifth place. On this season, only top 4 of each league qualify into knock-out stage, and two teams into the finals automatically qualify into Malaysia Premier League.

UKM FC also qualified into Malaysia FA Cup for the first time. In the first round, they defeated Hanelang by penalty shout-out after draw 1–1 in UKM Bangi Stadium, their home base. Azri Zulkiflee scored in this match before Mohd Safix from Hanelang equalized. This match also the only UKM FC match at home in FA Cup history. In the second round, they lost into Kelantan at Sultan Mohammad IV Stadium.

2017 season

Sulaiman Hussin promoted into UKM FC head coach, and they managed to finish in the top of the league - only lost twice with FELCRA and MOF by 1–0 at home. In knock-out stage, UKM FC defeated Kuching 2–1 on quarter-final, before qualified into final stage after beating Shahzan Muda 1–0 on semi-final. UKM FC lost 2-3 into Sime Darby, but both of them already qualified into 2018 Malaysia Premier League. But one month after final, Sime Darby decided to withdraw from the Premier League next season and focused into develop youth football, ending their involvement as a professional club. The club now competes in the KLFA First Division state league as an amateur club.^[8]^[9]

On 2017 Malaysia FA Cup, they received the bye in the first round and defeated by Sabah at Likas Stadium in the second round.

2018 season

The club has been promoted to Malaysia Premier League despite losing in the 2017 Malaysia FAM League Finals against Sime Darby. At the beginning of the 2018 season, the club signed four foreign players including one player from Asia. They were Waheed Oseni, Redouane Zerzouri, Atuheire Kipson and Nam Se-in. Due to poor performance, Atuheire Kipson was dropped by the club during mid-season and he was replaced by former MISC-MIFA forward, Michael Chukwubunna.

The change galvanized UKM, as they finished the league season in 8th place, and were runners-up of the inaugural Malaysia Challenge Cup.^[10] Michael Chukwubunna also finished as top scorer in the latter competition with 13 goals.

2019 season

Despite the team good performance in the league and cup, UKM FC were barred to participate in the 2019 Malaysia Premier League by Malaysia Football League on 28 November 2018, after the club failed to submit their registration paperwork on time, and the paperwork sent to MFL after they are given 7 days grace period are incomplete.^[11] However, on 10 December 2018, they are given a second chance by MFL to appeal for reinstatement to Premier League,^[12] which they do successfully, although MFL served UKM with a fine and warning for their initial failure.^[13]

In this season, UKM recorded the biggest win in their Premier League history, as they demolished Sarawak 4–0 on March 2, 2019. They are also recorded the first ever win on Malaysia FA Cup history, won 5–1 after beating Protap at UKM Bangi Stadium on April 2, 2019.

2020 season and end of involvement in Malaysian League

In the truncated 2020 season due to COVID-19 pandemic, UKM FC managed to finish in the 9th position out of 12 teams. But the pandemic hit the football community hard on the finances, including the team. After the university management has pulled the full financial support and the team was re-registered under a new private entity, they failed to give FAM concrete proof they have financial backing for the 2021 season. As a consequence, FAM expelled the team from the Premier League.^[14]

Although UKM FC can apply for registration in the M3 League or below,^[15] as of 2022, they have not involved in any of the leagues.

Stadium and locations

Coordinates	Location	Stadium	Capacity	Year
2°55′55″N 101°47′04″E / 2.932°N 101.7845°E / 2.932; 101.7845	Bangi	UKM Bangi Stadium	500	2015–2017, 2019
3°15′18″N 101°39′26″E / 3.254932°N 101.657202°E / 3.254932; 101.657202	Selayang	MP Selayang Stadium	16,000	2018
3°06′02″N 101°43′17″E / 3.100535°N 101.721371°E / 3.100535; 101.721371	Kuala Lumpur	Kuala Lumpur Stadium	18,000	2019–Present

Season by season record

Update on 12 October 2019.

Note :
Pld = Played, W = Win, D = Draw, L= Loss, F = Goal for, A = Goal against, D = Goal difference, Pts = Points, Pos = Position

1st or Champions 2nd or Runner-up 3rd place Promotion Relegation

Season	Domestic League									Domestic Cup			Overall Top Goalscorer
Season	Division	P	W	D	L	F	A	Pts	Pos	FA Cup	Malaysia Cup	Challenge Cup	Name	Goals
2015	Malaysia FAM League	18	6	7	5	26	20	25	4th	did not participate	did not qualify	Not yet held	Hafizudin Sulaiman	8
2016	Malaysia FAM League	14	4	4	6	13	16	16	5th	Second round			Hadzirun Che Hamid, Faiz Bandong, Gusti Ishak, Azri Zulkiflee	2
2017	Malaysia FAM League	14	8	4	2	24	11	28	1st¹ (promoted)	Second round			Hasrul Nurkholis Hasim	10
2018	Malaysia Premier League	20	6	4	10	26	32	22	7th	Third round		Runners-up	Michael Ijezie	16
2019	Malaysia Premier League	20	6	4	10	28	32	22	8th	Third round		Runners-up	Mateo Roskam	16
2020	Malaysia Premier League	11	3	3	5	11	17	12	9th	Second round² (cancelled)		Did not held²

¹ : They finished first in the league and qualified for knockout stage, ended as runners-up as they lost 2–3 on aggregate by Sime Darby.
² : Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the tournament was cancelled.

Current squad

^[16]

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.


No.	Pos.	Nation	Player
1	DF	MAS	Syed Irfan Syafiq
2	DF	GHA	Ignatius Adukor
3	DF	MAS	Kalaiharasan Letchumanan
4	MF	MAS	Asnan Ahmad (captain)
5	DF	MAS	Hafizudin Sulaiman
6	MF	MAS	Saiful Hasnol
7	MF	MAS	Azri Zulkiflee
8	FW	MAS	Nor Farhan Muhammad
10	MF	MAS	Hafizi Amiruddin
11	DF	MAS	Irwan Syazmin
12	DF	MAS	K. Reuben
13	DF	MAS	Zairul Fitree Ishak
14	DF	MAS	Zubair Kamarulzaman
15	DF	KOR	Lee Seung-woo
16	FW	MAS	Zarul Aidiel


No.	Pos.	Nation	Player
17	MF	MAS	Terence Marieselvam
18	GK	MAS	Amin Faisal
19	MF	MAS	Baqiuddin Shamsudin
20	FW	MAS	Faiz Hanif
21	DF	MAS	Rafiq Shah Zaim
22	GK	MAS	Remezey Che Ros
23	DF	MAS	Imran Azizi
24	MF	MAS	Syed Sobri
25	DF	MAS	Tuan Ahmad Muqris
27	DF	MAS	Rafizi Hamdan
28	DF	MAS	Talhah Rosli
29	DF	MAS	Syafiq Azri
30	FW	MAS	Badrul Amin Hamid
33	FW	ARG	Julián Bottaro
35	FW	NGA	Akanni-Sunday Wasiu

Development squads

Under-21s

^[17]

No.	Name	Position	D.O.B
Goalkeepers
1	Muhammad Aiman Hakim Mat Tarmizi	GK	2000
20	Rishi Kumar a/l Agilan	GK	2000
22	Melvin Thiloshen Dass Michal Dass	GK	1999
25	Mohammad Ezan Aiman Mohd Ridzuan	GK	1999
Defenders
2	Muhammad Ashraf Mohd Zahir	RB/RWB	1999
4	Muhammad Syaiful Adha Kamaruzaman	CB	2000
5	Muhammad Afif Rafiqin Mohd Yusof	CB	2000
12	Ameer Hafiz Mokhtar	RB/RWB	2000
15	Muhammad Amierul Aiman Hasani	LB/LWB	1999
17	Mohd Danish Affan Mohd Nasir	CB	2000
24	Abdul Muiz Saifulzaman	LB/LWB	2000
Midfielders
3	Muhammad Zawir Zakwan Hasman	RW/RM	2000
6	Muhammad Izham Nor Alizan	CM	2000
8	Abdul Qayyum Sarkini	RW/RM	2000
9	Faris Akmal Azza Haslija	DM/CB	2001
10	Muhammad Zikri Fakhrul Zafran	AM/CM	6/6/99
11	Alif Danial Abu Kassim	LW /LM	2000
16	Harith Iskandar Hafinizam	CM	2000
18	Muhammad Alif Fikri Zainal Abidin	CM	2000
21	Ahmad Zaimulzikri Ibrahim	LW /LM	7/10/99
Forwards
7	Mohd Arfan Hafizi Mohd Nasaruddin	ST	2000
13	Mohd Danish Iskandar Khairudin	ST	2000
14	Ahmad Dzikri Radzuan	ST	2000
19	Muhammad Afiq Samsuddin	ST	2000
23	Ezzat Daniel Zahir	ST	2000

Under-19s

^[18]

No.	Name	Position	D.O.B
Goalkeepers
1	Mohd Firdaus Amin Zairol Azhar	GK	2003
20	Hasbi Hasani Mohd Fauzi	GK	2001
22	Amirul Aqasha Shaharudin	GK	2002
Defenders
2	Mikael Danish Mohd Adlan	RB / RWB	2002
4	Muhammad Hirzi Diniy Mohd Zaki	CB	2002
11	Muhammad Adam Iman Nazril	CB / LB / RB	2002
12	Fauzan Asnomi	LB / LWB	2002
15	Ilhan Hakim Razmat	RB / RWB	2002
21	Akmal Hakiem Ibrahim	CB / RB	2002
23	Muhammad Aizzat Hakimi Zaini	CB	2002
25	Maiyurran a/l Ganesan	LB / LWB	2002
Midfielders
3	Muhammad Asyraaf Rifqi Rosli	CM	2002
6	Aidil Haikal Azizan	RW /RM	2002
8	Muhammad Aliff Aiman Mohd Aznam	LW / LM	2002
14	Muhammad Zulkarnain Zainorin	CM	2001
17	Muhammad Danial Hakimi Salehudin	RW /RM	2002
18	Mohd Aidil Faris Abdul Malek	LW /LM	2002
19	Muhammad Nazarul Ikram Mohd Nizam	CM	2002
24	Muhammad Arif Najmi Mohd Khalid	CM	2002
Forwards
5	Muhammad Aiman Daniel Mazlan	ST	2002
7	Afdal Shahryll Nizam	ST	2002
9	Muhammad Amir Zakwan Mohd Asrani Ramu	ST	2002
10	Sidhata Gautam a/l Selvam	ST	2002
13	Fehriz Hakim Tadjul Hakma	ST	2002
16	Muhammad Adam Syafiq Ahmad Faizal	ST	2001

Management team

Club personnel

Position	Name
Team manager	Zach Gillan
Assistant manager	Suhaimi Suliman
Head coach	Sulaiman Hussin
Assistant head coach	Kamarudin Anuar
Coach	Yusrizal Yusoff
Coach	Rezal Zambery Yahya
Goalkeeping coach	Abdul Rahman Baba
Fitness coach	Ashadi Mohd Yusoff
Team Doctor	Muhamad Karbela Reza Ramlan
Team Doctor	Nik Alif Azriq Nik Abdullah
Physiotherapist	Mohd Tasnim Abu Mansor
Masseur	Kamal Hassan
Kitman	Mohd Raffiq Roslan
U21 Team manager	Ku Besry Ku Aziz
U21 Head coach	Radzali Embi
U21 Assistant head coach	Muhd Zamri Hassan
U19 Team manager	Abdul Fatah Shadan@Ahahadan
U19 Head coach	Zach Gillan
U19 Assistant head coach	Zainal Noordin
U19 Goalkeeping coach	Reza Iqrimal Redzawan
U19 Fitness coach	Muhammad Iftiqarbin Ahmad Termizi
U19 Physiotherapist	Ibrahim Kasan

Managerial history

Head coaches by years (2015–present)