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
Singapore  | 1–1 |  Khmer Republic |
|---|---|---|
|
Report |
|
| Penalties | ||
| 2–1 | ||
India  | 2–1 |  South Vietnam |
|---|---|---|
|
Report |
|
Bangladesh  | 2–2 |  Thailand |
|---|---|---|
|
Report |
|
| Penalties | ||
| 5–6 | ||
Attendance: 3,000
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 |
| South Korea | 1–0 | Khmer Republic |
|---|---|---|
|
Report |
| India | 3–0 | Khmer Republic |
|---|---|---|
|
Report |
| Malaysia | 1–2 | South Korea |
|---|---|---|
|
Report |
|
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 |
| South Vietnam | 1–1 | Bangladesh |
|---|---|---|
|
Report |
|
| Kuwait | 2–1 | Bangladesh |
|---|---|---|
|
Report |
|
Attendance: 5,000
| Bangladesh | 1–1 | Singapore |
|---|---|---|
|
Report |
|
| South Vietnam | 1–0 | Singapore |
|---|---|---|
|
Report |
| Burma | 6–0 | Bangladesh |
|---|---|---|
|
Report |
| Kuwait | 2–1 | South Vietnam |
|---|---|---|
|
Report |
|
Ninth place
| Singapore | 3–0 | Khmer Republic |
|---|---|---|
|
Report |
Seventh place
Fifth place
| South Vietnam | 1–1 | India |
|---|---|---|
|
Report |
|
| Penalties | ||
|
5–4 |
|
Knockout stage
Semi-finals
| South Korea | 0–1 | Kuwait |
|---|---|---|
| Report |
|
Attendance: 5,000
Third place
| Burma | 2–1 | South Korea |
|---|---|---|
|
Report |
|
Final
Notes
- ^ a b 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.[1]
References
- ^ "Page 22, The Straits Times, 4 August 1973". eresources.nlb.gov.sg. Retrieved 2025-01-18.
- Morrison, Neil. "Merdeka Tournament 1973 (Malaysia)". RSSSF.com