Arif Aiman bin Mohd Hanapi (born 4 May 2002) is a Malaysian professional

footballer A football player or footballer is a sportsperson who plays one of the different types of football. The main types of football are association football, American football, Canadian football, Australian rules football, Gaelic football, rugby lea ...

who plays as a winger for

Malaysia Super League The Malaysia Super League (), known simply as the Super League (), is the men's top professional Football in Malaysia, football division of the Malaysian football league system. Administered by the Football Malaysia Limited Liability Partnersh ...

club

Johor Darul Ta'zim Johor, also spelled Johore,'' is a state of Malaysia in the south of the Malay Peninsula. It borders with Pahang, Malacca and Negeri Sembilan to the north. Johor has maritime borders with Singapore to the south and Indonesia to the east and w ...

and the Malaysia national team. Arif currently holds the record for winning the Malaysia Super League 'Most Valuable Player' award for fourth consecutive season.

Youth career

Arif's talent was discovered during the Mykids programme in 2011/12, and he later joined the squad that won IberCup Costa Del Sol in 2015. He then decided to leave Mokhtar Dahari National Football Academy at the end of 2018 to join JDT Academy in order to increase his playing opportunities. After playing for JDT in the Youth and President's Cups, Arif Aiman caught the attention of Malaysia U19 squad coach,

Bojan Hodak Bojan Hodak (born 4 May 1971) is a Croatian professional football coach and former player. He is currently coaching Liga 1 club Persib Bandung. Early life Hodak was born and raised in Zagreb, Croatia, as the second child in a family with a s ...

, in early 2019. Arif is a product of the

National Football Development Programme of Malaysia The National Football Development Programme of Malaysia (NFDP Malaysia) () (PPBN; abbreviation, abbrev: NFDP) is a youth association football, football development programme created by the Ministry of Youth and Sports (Malaysia), Ministry of Youth ...

(NFDP) from 2015 to 2017 and then Johor Darul Ta'zim Academy. He played in all levels of the academy including JDT IV, JDT III, JDT II until he became a regular for the first team. Arif began his senior club with

after playing for the youth club few years back. In 2021, at age 19, he won the Most Valuable Player (MVP) in the 2021 National Football Awards ceremony and created the nation's history as the youngest player ever chosen as MVP, surpassing teammate Safawi Rasid, who was 21 when he was selected as MVP in 2018. He was also named Best Striker and Most Promising Player in that year's awards.

Club career

Johor Darul Ta'zim FC

Arif made his senior debut with Johor Darul Ta'zim II on 29 February 2020 in the

2020 Malaysia Premier League The 2020 Malaysia Premier League was the 17th season of the Malaysia Premier League, the second-tier professional football league in Malaysia since its establishment in 2004. The season started on 29 February and should end on 20 July 2020. Howev ...

.Liga Premier Malaysia 2020 - Negeri Sembilan 1-3 Johor Darul Ta'zim II
- CMS FAM. He played 73 minutes in a 3–1 away win against Negeri Sembilan. On 14 March 2020, he made his

first team debut against

Felda United Felda United Football Club was a Malaysian football club based in Jengka, Pahang, owned by the Malaysian Federal Land Development Authority (FELDA).

in the

2020 Malaysia Super League The 2020 Malaysia Super League (), known as the CIMB Bank Liga Super Malaysia 2020 for sponsorship reasons, was the 17th season of the Malaysia Super League, the top-tier professional football league in Malaysia. Johor Darul Ta'zim were the defen ...

. He scored his first goal for the club against Kuching City in a 1–0 win in the Round of 16 of the 2020 Malaysia Cup which see them through to the quarter-finals. Arif made his first appearance in the 2021 season against

UiTM The MARA Technological University ( Malay: ''Universiti Teknologi MARA''; Jawi: اونيۏرسيتي تيكنولوڬي مارا; abbr. UiTM) is a public university in Malaysia, based primarily in Shah Alam, Selangor. It was established to hel ...

after his teammate Safawi Rasid was subbed off because of a knee injury. He also scored in that match. Arif was named in the 25 best

ASEAN The Association of Southeast Asian Nations, commonly abbreviated as ASEAN, is a regional grouping of 10 states in Southeast Asia "that aims to promote economic and security cooperation among its ten members." Together, its member states r ...

wonderkids in football. On 22 June 2021, he made his debut in

2021 AFC Champions League The 2021 AFC Champions League was the 40th edition of Asia's premier club football tournament organized by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), and the 19th under the current AFC Champions League title. Al-Hilal won their fourth title by ...

, which ended in a 0–1 loss against Japanese club

Nagoya Grampus ; formerly known as is a Japanese association football club that plays in the J1 League, and have for all but one season since the inauguration of the league, following promotion from the J2 League in 2017. Based in Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture an ...

Sending JDT to their first ever knockout stage of the AFC Champions League

On 30 April 2022, as Johor desperately needing a win to qualify for the round of 16 in the

2022 AFC Champions League The 2022 AFC Champions League was the 41st edition of Asia's premier club football tournament organized by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), and the 20th under the current AFC Champions League title. This edition was the last in an all-y ...

group stage, he crossed the ball during the last kick of the match, which resulted

Ulsan Hyundai Ulsan HD FC (), formerly Ulsan Hyundai FC, is a South Korean professional football club based in Ulsan that competes in the K League 1, the top tier of South Korean football. Founded in 1983 as Hyundai Horang-i, they joined the K League in 198 ...

player,

Park Yong-woo Park Yong-woo (; born March 16, 1971) is a South Korean actor. Early life Park Yong-woo's father was an engineering professor and his mother was a music teacher. As a child he was shy and expressed himself poorly. Instead, he nurtured his imag ...

to accidentally scored an own goal. Johor won the game with a score of 2–1 and qualified to the knockout stage as group leader. On 5 August 2022, Arif scored his first senior

hat-trick A hat-trick or hat trick is the achievement of a generally positive feat three times in a match, or another achievement based on the number three. Origin The term first appeared in 1858 in cricket, to describe H. H. Stephenson taking three Wick ...

for JDT during the 2022 Malaysia FA Cup semi-finals match against

Penang Penang is a Malaysian state located on the northwest coast of Peninsular Malaysia along the Strait of Malacca. It has two parts: Penang Island, where the capital city, George Town, is located, and Seberang Perai on the Malay Peninsula. Th ...

. On 28 November 2022, he scored a goal in a friendly match against

Borussia Dortmund Ballspielverein Borussia 09 e. V. Dortmund, often known simply as Borussia Dortmund () or by its initialism BVB (), or just Dortmund by International fans, is a German professional sports club based in Dortmund, North Rhine-Westphalia. It is ...

in Johor's last match of in 2022. On 2 February 2023, Arif started off his pre-season well in Dubai in the match against Russian club,

Lokomotiv Moscow FC Lokomotiv Moscow (, ) is a Russian professional association football, football club based in Moscow. Lokomotiv have won the Russian Premier League on three occasions; the Soviet Cup twice; and the Russian Cup (football), Russian Cup a record ...

in which he ran past behind the goalkeeper and scored the only goal in the game. On 24 February 2023, he won the 2023 Malaysia Charity Shield for the third time in his career after a 2–0 over

Terengganu Terengganu (; Terengganu Malay: ''Tranung'', formerly spelled Trengganu or Tringganu) is a sultanate and States and federal territories of Malaysia, federal state of Malaysia. The state is also known by its Arabic honorific, ''Dāru l-Iman (c ...

. On 26 June 2023, he scored a first half hat-trick in the semi-finals of the

2023 Malaysia FA Cup The 2023 Malaysia FA Cup is the 33rd edition of the Malaysia FA Cup, a knockout competition for Malaysian association football clubs. The winners, if eligible, would be assured a place in the 2024–25 AFC Champions League Two group stage. Johor ...

against

Selangor Selangor ( ; ), also known by the Arabic language, Arabic honorific Darul Ehsan, or "Abode of Sincerity", is one of the 13 states of Malaysia. It is on the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia and is bordered by Perak to the north, Pahang to the e ...

. It was also his back to back hat-trick for club and country. During the

2023–24 AFC Champions League The 2023–24 AFC Champions League was the 42nd edition of Asia's premier club football tournament organized by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), and the 21st and final under the AFC Champions League title, as the competition would be rebra ...

group stage match against Thailand club BG Pathum United on 3 October 2023, after the opponent,

Victor Cardozo Victor Mattos Cardozo (born 19 December 1989), simply known as Victor or Victor Cardozo, is a Brazilian footballer who currently plays for Thai League 1 club Lamphun Warriors, on loan from BG Pathum United. Honours ;Ubon UMT United * Regio ...

scored from the penalty spot, Arif scored 10 seconds after the game was restarted from kick-off after receiving a long ball pass from captain

Jordi Amat Jordi Amat may refer to: * Jordi Amat (footballer) Jordi Amat Maas (; ; born 21 March 1992) is a professional footballer who plays as a centre-back for Malaysia Super League club Johor Darul Ta'zim and the Indonesia national team. He spent th ...

. Arif then scored a brace in the 78th minute which secured a 4–2 win at the

BG Stadium True BG Stadium is a football stadium in Thanyaburi, Pathum Thani, Thailand, and the home of BG Pathum United and True Bangkok United of the Thai League 1. Previously known for its iconic three-sided main stand, the newly constructed fourth ...

. On 7 November 2023, Arif assisted Akhyar Rashid who then scored the winner against Korean giants Ulsan Hyundai in a 2–1 home win. During the last AFC Champions League fixture against BG Pathum United at home, Arif recorded a goal and an assist in a 4–1 win over the Thailand club. On 24 August 2024, Arif scored a goal during the

2024 Malaysia FA Cup final The 2024 Malaysia FA Cup final was an association football match played between Johor Darul Ta'zim and Selangor at Bukit Jalil National Stadium, Bukit Jalil, Kuala Lumpur on 24 August 2024. It was the final match of the 2024 Malaysia FA Cup, the ...

in a 6–1 thrashing win over Selangor. During the inaugural

2024–25 AFC Champions League Elite The 2024–25 AFC Champions League Elite (ACL Elite) was the 43rd edition of Asia's premier club football tournament, organised by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), and the first since it was rebranded as the AFC Champions League Elite. The ...

against Chinese club

Shanghai Port The Port of Shanghai ( zh, c=上海港, p=''Shànghǎi Gǎng'' ; Wu; ''Zånhae Kån'') is located in the vicinity of Shanghai, comprises a deep-sea port and a river port. The main port enterprise in Shanghai, the Shanghai International Por ...

at the

Pudong Football Stadium The Pudong Football Stadium, currently named SAIC Motor Pudong Arena due to sponsorship reasons, is a association football, football stadium in Shanghai, China. Completed in October 2020, it is the home of Chinese Super League club Shanghai Port F ...

on 18 September 2024, Arif scored the opener after dribbling past three players before slotting the ball behind

Yan Junling Yan Junling (; born 28 January 1991) is a Chinese professional footballer who currently plays as a goalkeeper for Chinese Super League club Shanghai Port and the China national team. Club career Yan Junling started his football career when ...

with his weak foot from outside the box, making him the first Malaysian ever scoring goal in AFC Champions League Elite. He then scored a brace in the 56th minute with his weak foot again to bring the score to 2–1 but unfortunately, both team settled the match at 2–2. In the next AFC Champions League Elite match at home against Chinese club Shanghai Shenghua on 1 October, Arif scored with his weak foot in the 10th minute to open up the account in the match, Johor Darul Ta'zim ended up victorius in a 3–0 win. On 8 December during a league match against Kuala Lumpur City, Arif scored a hat-trick with two of his goal scoring with a 30 yard screamer including a penalty in which JDT won 3–0. In April 2025, Arif made history for winning the Malaysia Super League 'Most Valuable Player' award for fourth consecutive season surpassing

Norshahrul Idlan Talaha Norshahrul Idlan bin Talaha (born 8 June 1986) is a Malaysian professional footballer who plays as a forward and Malaysian football pundit. From 2007 to 2022, he represented the Malaysia national team. He popularly known as Mat Yo by Malaysi ...

who has three awards.

International career

Arif made his first appearance for the Malaysia national team against

Bahrain Bahrain, officially the Kingdom of Bahrain, is an island country in West Asia. Situated on the Persian Gulf, it comprises a small archipelago of 50 natural islands and an additional 33 artificial islands, centered on Bahrain Island, which mak ...

on 29 May 2021. His first competitive match with Malaysia was against

Vietnam Vietnam, officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam (SRV), is a country at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of about and a population of over 100 million, making it the world's List of countries and depende ...

in the 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifier as a substitution. He made his appearance in the 61st minute but the team eventually ended up losing 1–2. Arif was then included in the

2020 AFF Championship The 2020 AFF Championship (officially AFF Suzuki Cup 2020 for sponsorship reasons) was the 13th edition of the AFF Championship, the football championship of nations affiliated to the ASEAN Football Federation (AFF), the 7th and the last edition ...

squad where he recorded two assists against

Laos Laos, officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic (LPDR), is the only landlocked country in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by Myanmar and China to the northwest, Vietnam to the east, Cambodia to the southeast, and Thailand to the west and ...

at the

Bishan Stadium Bishan Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium in Bishan, Singapore, Bishan, Singapore. It is the main home ground of Singapore Premier League side Lion City Sailors FC, Lion City Sailors, and used mostly for Football (soccer), football matches. The s ...

in a 4–0 win. Arif converted a penalty kick against

Solomon Islands Solomon Islands, also known simply as the Solomons,John Prados, ''Islands of Destiny'', Dutton Caliber, 2012, p,20 and passim is an island country consisting of six major islands and over 1000 smaller islands in Melanesia, part of Oceania, t ...

in an international friendly match on 14 June 2023, which was his first international goal after 16 appearances with the national team. On 20 June 2023, he scored four goals in a 10–0 against

Papua New Guinea Papua New Guinea, officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea, is an island country in Oceania that comprises the eastern half of the island of New Guinea and offshore islands in Melanesia, a region of the southwestern Pacific Ocean n ...

, which made him the seventh Malaysian player to score more than three goals in one international match. On 16 November 2023 in a 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers match against

Kyrgyzstan Kyrgyzstan, officially the Kyrgyz Republic, is a landlocked country in Central Asia lying in the Tian Shan and Pamir Mountains, Pamir mountain ranges. Bishkek is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Kyrgyzstan, largest city. Kyrgyz ...

, as Malaysia was losing 3–1, Arif then recorded a hat-trick of assist which then see Malaysia gain the 3 points in a 4–3 comeback win. During the

2023 AFC Asian Cup The 2023 AFC Asian Cup was the 18th edition of the AFC Asian Cup, the quadrennial international Association football, football tournament organised by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC). It involved 24 national teams after its expansion in 20 ...

group stage fixture against

South Korea South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the southern half of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and borders North Korea along the Korean Demilitarized Zone, with the Yellow Sea to the west and t ...

on 25 January 2024, Arif scored from the penalty spot, giving Malaysia a 2–1 lead against the Asian giants.

Style of play

Arif usually plays as a winger who provides assists for his front line. He is known for his pace, agility, and dribbles, often able to handle multiple opponents while in possession. He can also play with both feet.

Career statistics

Club

International

International goals ¹ Not FIFA 'A' International match.

Honours

Club

Johor Darul Ta'zim *

2021 Like the year 2020, 2021 was also heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, due to the emergence of multiple Variants of SARS-CoV-2, COVID-19 variants. The major global rollout of COVID-19 vaccines, which began at the end of 2020, continued ...

2022 The year began with another wave in the COVID-19 pandemic, with SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant, Omicron spreading rapidly and becoming the dominant variant of the SARS-CoV-2 virus worldwide. Tracking a decrease in cases and deaths, 2022 saw ...

2023 Catastrophic natural disasters in 2023 included the Lists of 21st-century earthquakes, 5th-deadliest earthquake of the 21st century 2023 Turkey–Syria earthquakes, striking Turkey and Syria, leaving up to 62,000 people dead; Cyclone Freddy ...

, 2024–25 *

Malaysia FA Cup The Malaysia FA Cup () is an annual association football, football competition in Malaysia, established in 1990. It was previously managed by the Football Association of Malaysia, before being transferred to the Football Malaysia LLP, Malaysian ...

2024 The year saw the list of ongoing armed conflicts, continuation of major armed conflicts, including the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Myanmar civil war (2021–present), Myanmar civil war, the Sudanese civil war (2023–present), Sudane ...

Malaysia Cup The Malaysia Cup (), formerly known as Malaya Cup, is an annual football tournament in Malaysia, held at the end of the calendar year. The cup was first held in 1921. Despite its prestige and popularity as the country's oldest cup tournament, i ...

, 2024–25 *

Piala Sumbangsih The Malaysian Charity Shield (English: Charity Cup), also known as Piala Sultan Haji Ahmad Shah () or Piala Sumbangsih, is a Malaysian football super cup competition. It is the curtain raiser match to the new Malaysian football season, pittin ...

International

Malaysia *

Pestabola Merdeka Merdeka Tournament () is an international friendly football tournament held in Malaysia to commemorate the Independence Day. It is mainly played at Independence Stadium, in Kuala Lumpur. "Merdeka" is the Malay word for independence. As of 202 ...

: 2024 *

King's Cup King's Cup (incl. translations), may refer to: Sports Football * Copa del Rey, Spanish for "King's Cup," the main national knockout tournament in men's football * King's Cup (Bahrain), the premier national knockout football tournament * King's ...

runner-up:

Individual

FAM Football Awards The Football Association of Malaysia National Football Awards are presented to the best football local and foreign players and coaches. They have been awarded since the 2005–06 Malaysia Super League season. Sponsorship Since the establishment o ...

– Most Valuable Player: 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024–25 * FAM Football Awards – Best Striker: 2021, 2022, 2023 * FAM Football Awards – Best Midfielder: 2024–25 * FAM Football Awards – Best Young Player: 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024 * Malaysia Super League Team of the Season:

, 2024–25 *

Top Scorer:

References

{{Authority control 2002 births Living people Footballers from Pahang Malaysian men's footballers 21st-century Malaysian sportsmen Malaysia men's international footballers Malaysia Super League players Johor Darul Ta'zim F.C. players Men's association football forwards 2023 AFC Asian Cup players