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1973 Merdeka Tournament

Tournament details
Host country	Federation of Malaya
Dates	26 July – 12 August 1973
Teams	10
Venue(s)	1 (in 1 host city)
Final positions
Champions	Malaysia (1st title)
Runners-up	Kuwait
Third place	Burma
Fourth place	South Korea
Tournament statistics
Matches played	32
Goals scored	75 (2.34 per match)
← 1972 1974 →

The 1973 Merdeka Tournament was the seventeenth edition of the annual football tournament hosted by Malaysia. It took place from 26 July to 12 August 1973 with ten participating nations.

Venues

Kuala Lampur
Stadium Merdeka
Capacity: 20,000

Preliminary round

Malaysia	0–0	Kuwait
	Report
Penalties
	3–2

Singapore	1–1	Khmer Republic
Seak Poh Leong 19'	Report	Sok Sun Hean 59'
Penalties
	2–1

India	2–1	South Vietnam
Magan 32' Nicholas Pereira 57'	Report	Ho Thanh Cang 8'

Bangladesh	2–2	Thailand
Enayetur 61' Salahuddin	Report	Manus 27' Niwatana Sesawasdi
Penalties
	5–6

Burma	0–0	South Korea
	Report
Penalties
	5–4

Group stage

Group A

Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts
South Korea	4	2	2	0	3	1	+2	6
Malaysia	4	2	1	1	8	4	+4	5
India	4	2	1	1	5	4	+1	5
Thailand	4	1	2	1	6	5	+1	4
Khmer Republic	4	0	0	4	1	9	−8	0

Malaysia	1–0	Khmer Republic
Soh Chin Ann 20'	Report

India	2–0	Thailand
Inder 40', 60'	Report

South Korea	1–0	Khmer Republic
Seung Kee	Report

India	3–0	Khmer Republic
Bernard Pereira 7' Magan Ulaganathan 60'	Report

Malaysia	2–2	Thailand
Wan Hassan 21' Mokhtar 52'	Report	Parnuwat 70' Manus 86'

India	0–0	South Korea

South Korea	0–0	Thailand
	Report

Malaysia	4–0	India
Rahim 20' Namat 60' Harun 62' Mokhtar 88'	Report

Malaysia	1–2	South Korea
Wong Voon Leong 65'	Report	Chung Kang Chi 15' Kang Tae Hyun 73'

Thailand	4–1	Khmer Republic

Group B

Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts
Burma	4	4	0	0	11	1	+10	8
Kuwait	4	3	0	1	6	4	+2	6
South Vietnam	4	1	1	2	4	5	−1	3
Bangladesh	4	0	2	2	3	10	−7	2
Singapore	4	0	1	3	1	5	−4	1

Kuwait	2–0	Singapore
Suoud Bohamed 48' Hussain Mohammed	Report

South Vietnam	1–1	Bangladesh
Nguyen Van Nong 44' (pen.)	Report	Nannu 50'

Burma	1–0	Singapore
Than Soe 54'	Report

Kuwait	2–1	Bangladesh
Kameel 19' Ali Al-Shammari 75'	Report	Enayetur 47'

Burma	2–1	South Vietnam

Bangladesh	1–1	Singapore
Salahuddin 6'	Report	Shamsuddin Rahmat 20'

South Vietnam	1–0	Singapore
Vo Thanh Van 67'	Report

Burma	2–0	Kuwait
Than Soe 30' Aye Kyaing 37'	Report

Burma	6–0	Bangladesh
Maung Win Maung 12', ?' Myo Win Nyunt 28' Ye Nyunt 44' Than Soe 62', 64'	Report

Kuwait	2–1	South Vietnam
Hussain Mohammed 5', 62'	Report	Quang Duc Vinh 67'

Ninth place

Singapore	3–0	Khmer Republic
Lim Tien Jit 15' Jaffar Yacob 70' Lee Teik Gnee 80'	Report

Seventh place

Thailand	2–0	Bangladesh

Fifth place

South Vietnam	1–1	India
Nguyen Van Mong	Report	M Prasannan
Penalties
Bernard Pereira Manuel Jayaraj Nicholas Pereira Thomas Fernandes	5–3	Ho Than Cang Hyunh Van Chien Cu Sinh Quong Duo Vin Duong Van Tho

Knockout stage

Semi-finals

South Korea	0–1	Kuwait
	Report	Kameel 40'

Burma	1–2	Malaysia
Ye Nyunt 28'	Report	Wong Choon Wah 10' Namat 61'

Third place

Burma	2–1	South Korea
Maung Tin Sein Shan Pain	Report	Kang Tae Hyun 60'

Final

Malaysia	3–1	Kuwait
Mokhtar ?', 51' Harun 20'	Report	Hussain Mohammed 2'

Notes

1. ^ The game was initially scheduled for 3 August, however, was postponed a day due to the death of Deputy Prime Minister of Malaysia, Tun Dr. Ismail bin Abdul Rahman.

References

1. "Page 22, The Straits Times, 4 August 1973". eresources.nlb.gov.sg. Retrieved 2025-01-18.

• Morrison, Neil. "Merdeka Tournament 1973 (Malaysia)". RSSSF.com

• Merdeka Tournament
• 1973 in Asian football