2008 Merdeka Tournament

The 40th Merdeka Tournament was played from 15 to 25 October 2008.^[1] The tournament was won by Vietnam, who defeated Malaysia 6–5 on penalties in the final.

2008 Pestabola Merdeka

Tournament details
Host country	Malaysia
Dates	15–25 October
Teams	8
Venue	3 (in 3 host cities)
Final positions
Champions	Vietnam (1st title)
Runners-up	Malaysia
Tournament statistics
Matches played	15
Goals scored	56 (3.73 per match)
Top scorer(s)	Mohd Safee Mohd Sali (5 goals)
← 2007 2013 →

Teams

•  Afghanistan
•  Bangladesh
•  Malaysia (host country)
•  Mozambique^*
•  Myanmar
•    Nepal
•  Sierra Leone^**
•  Vietnam^***

^*Mozambique replaced Kazakhstan following Kazakhstan’s failure to confirm participation.^[2] Mozambique will play with their Under 20 squad.

^**Sierra Leone will be sending their Under 20 squad.

^***Vietnam will be sending their Under 22 squad.^[3]

Stadiums

City	Stadium	Capacity
Kuala Lumpur	Bukit Jalil National Stadium*	100,000
Shah Alam	Shah Alam Stadium	81,000
Petaling Jaya	MBPJ Stadium	25,000

^*Venue for last group match change because of the poor pitch condition at the MBPJ Stadium.^[4]

Group stages

All times local (UTC+8)

Group A

Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts
Malaysia	3	3	0	0	14	0	+14	9
Sierra Leone	3	2	0	1	9	6	+3	6
Nepal	3	0	1	2	3	9	–6	1
Afghanistan	3	0	1	2	3	14	–11	1

15 October 2008

20:45

Malaysia	4–0	Nepal
Indra Putra 20' Safee 25', 48' Khyril 52'	Report

MBPJ Stadium, Petaling Jaya

Attendance: 31,000

Referee: Huang Junji (China)

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17 October 2008

18:30

Afghanistan	2–2	Nepal
Barakzai 62' Azimi 86'	Report	A. Gurung 63' B. Gurung 72'

MBPJ Stadium, Petaling Jaya

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17 October 2008

20:45

Malaysia	4–0	Sierra Leone
Indra Putra 69' Safee 75' Aidil 79' Adha 90'	Report

MBPJ Stadium, Petaling Jaya

Attendance: 41,500

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19 October 2008

18:30

Afghanistan	1–6	Sierra Leone
Qadami 47'	Report	Turay 20' A. Kamara 51' Kabia 60' Foray 76', 86' S. Kamara 88'

MBPJ Stadium, Petaling Jaya

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20 October 2008

20:45

Nepal	1–3	Sierra Leone
Rai 40' (pen.)	Report	Bah 6' Turay 88' Freeman 90'

Shah Alam Stadium, Shah Alam

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20 October 2008

20:45

Malaysia	6–0	Afghanistan
Ashaari 21', 64' Nizaruddin 41' Adha 44' Safee 85' Hairuddin 87'	Report

Bukit Jalil National Stadium, Kuala Lumpur

Attendance: 3,000

Group B

Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts
Vietnam	3	2	1	0	9	3	+6	7
Myanmar	3	2	0	1	5	5	0	6
Mozambique	3	1	0	2	3	7	–4	3
Bangladesh	3	0	1	2	2	4	–2	1

16 October 2008

18:30

Myanmar	1–3	Vietnam
Zaw Htet Aung 44'	Report	Thanh Bình 3', 47' Đức Thiện 74'

Shah Alam Stadium, Shah Alam

Attendance: 1,200

Referee: Fredy Chukwa (East Timor)

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16 October 2008

20:45

Bangladesh	0–1	Mozambique
	Report	Jange 88'

Shah Alam Stadium, Shah Alam

Attendance: 3,000

Referee: P. Sasidaran (India)

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18 October 2008

18:30

Mozambique	0–4	Vietnam
	Report	Thanh Bình 58' Đình Tùng 63', 80' Quang Vinh 72'

Shah Alam Stadium, Shah Alam

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18 October 2008

20:45

Bangladesh	0–1	Myanmar
		Soe Myat Min 23'

Shah Alam Stadium, Shah Alam

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20 October 2008

18:30

Bangladesh	2–2	Vietnam
Ameli 32' Zahid 49'	Report	Văn Khải 4' Thanh Bình 62'

Shah Alam Stadium, Shah Alam

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20 October 2008

18:30

Mozambique	2–3	Myanmar
Saize 40' Peguenino 65'	Report	Min Thu 57' Soe Myat Min 69' Khin Maung Lwin 72'

Bukit Jalil National Stadium, Kuala Lumpur

Knockout stages

All times local (UTC+8)

Bracket

	Semi-finals				Final
	23 October
	Vietnam (p)	2 (3)
					25 October
	Sierra Leone	2 (2)
					Vietnam (p)	0 (6)
	23 October
					Malaysia	0 (5)
	Malaysia	4
	Myanmar	0

Semi-finals

23 October 2008

17:45

Vietnam	2–2 (a.e.t.)	Sierra Leone
Quang Vinh 73' Đức Thiện 81'	Report	Kabia 39' Foray 68'
Penalties
Nhật Nam Thanh Bình Công Huy Đức Thiện	3–2	??  ??  ?? Kabia Bah

Bukit Jalil National Stadium, Kuala Lumpur

Attendance: 5,000

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23 October 2008

20:45

Malaysia	4–0	Myanmar
Indra Putra 26', 76' (pen.) Safee 61' Amirul Hadi 83'	Report

Bukit Jalil National Stadium, Kuala Lumpur

Attendance: 20,000

Referee: Chaiya Alee Mahapab (Thailand)

Final

25 October 2008

20:45

Vietnam	0–0 (a.e.t.)	Malaysia
	Report
Penalties
Nhật Nam Danh Ngọc Công Huy Đức Thiện Văn Duyệt Tiến Thành	6–5	Indra Putra Safee Hardi Ashaari Daudsu Norhafiz

Bukit Jalil National Stadium, Kuala Lumpur

Attendance: 50,000

Referee: Chaiya Alee Mahapab (Thailand)

Winners

2008 Merdeka Tournament winner
Vietnam 1st title

Goalscorers

5 goals Safee Sali 4 goals Indra Putra Mahayuddin Phan Thanh Bình 3 goals Dwight Foray 2 goals Zaquan Adha Ashaari Shamsuddin Alusine Turay Mohamed Kabia Hoàng Đình Tùng Nguyễn Đức Thiện Trịnh Quang Vinh Soe Myat Min

1 goals Lahai Freeman Lajor Bah Sulaiman Kamara Amara Kamara Amirul Hadi Hairuddin Omar Nizaruddin Yusof Khyril Muhymeen Aidil Zafuan Hafizullah Qadami Hashmatullah Barakzai Sayed Bashir Azimi Jahid Hasan Ameli Mohamed Zahid Hossain Jumanu Rai Anil Gurung

Bijaya Gurung Francisco Jange Enio Saize Mauricio Peguenino Zaw Htet Aung Min Thu Khin Maung Lwin Nguyễn Văn Khải