Mohd. Safiq Rahim
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Safiq bin Rahim ( Jawi: صفيق بن رحيم; born 5 July 1987) 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
midfielder In the sport of association football, a midfielder takes an Glossary of association football terms#O, outfield position primarily in the middle of the pitch. Midfielders may play an exclusively defensive role, breaking up attacks, and are in t ...
for
Malaysian Super League The Malaysia Super League (), known simply as the Super League (), is the men's top professional football division of the Malaysian football league system. Administered by the Football Malaysia Limited Liability Partnership (FMLLP), now known ...
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 ...
. He is also a former member of the Malaysia national team. Safiq is widely regarded as one of the best Malaysian midfielders of all time. Safiq has played for
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 ...
, KL PLUS,
Melaka United Melaka United Football Club () was a Malaysian professional football club based in Malacca that competed in the Malaysia Super League. They were owned by Kenteam Sdn Bhd, which is one of main nitrile glove producers in Malaysia. The club's hom ...
and Johor Darul Ta'zim. He was the part of Johor Darul Ta'zim squad which won the AFC Cup in 2015 and also the part of Selangor squad which won the
2010 Malaysia Super League The 2010 Liga Super () also known as the TM Liga Super for sponsorship reasons is the seventh season of the Liga Super, the top-tier professional association football, football league in Malaysia.
. Safiq has been named in the Malaysia national squad for three major tournaments: the
2007 AFF Championship The 2007 AFF Championship (officially designated as the ASEAN Football Championship 2007) was the 6th edition of the AFF Championship, the Association football, football championship of Southeast Asia. The group stage was co-hosted by Singapore ...
,
2010 AFF Championship The 2010 AFF Championship, sponsored by Suzuki and P&G and officially known as the 2010 AFF Suzuki Cup, was the 8th edition of the AFF Championship, took place on 1–29 December 2010. Indonesia and Vietnam hosted the group stage from 1 to 8 De ...
and
2014 AFF Championship The 2014 AFF Championship, sponsored by Suzuki and officially known as the 2014 AFF Suzuki Cup, was the 10th edition of the AFF Championship, an international association football competition consisting of national teams of member nations of the ...
. In the 2010 AFF Championship, he was a part of Malaysia's under-23 squad which won the AFF Championship title. He was also a part of Malaysia's senior squad which won the
2010 AFF Championship The 2010 AFF Championship, sponsored by Suzuki and P&G and officially known as the 2010 AFF Suzuki Cup, was the 8th edition of the AFF Championship, took place on 1–29 December 2010. Indonesia and Vietnam hosted the group stage from 1 to 8 De ...
title. Safiq has been honoured with the
Football Association of Malaysia The Football Association of Malaysia (commonly abbreviated as FAM; ) is the national governing body of football in Malaysia, headquartered at Wisma FAM. The FAM is also one of the founding members of both the ASEAN Football Federation (AFF) a ...
National Football Awards for the Best Midfielder Award for 2011 and 2012 as voted by the public. He also was voted as the best Malaysian footballer in 2015 by Goal.com. He was voted as the best Malaysian footballer in 2016 and 2017 by
FOX Sports Asia Fox Sports Asia (formerly ESPN Star Sports) was a pan-Asian pay television network broadcasting in Asia, operated by Fox Networks Group Asia Pacific, a subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company (Southeast Asia) Pte. Ltd. It also oversaw a version o ...
. He also was awarded as 2015 AFC Cup Most Valuable Player. Safiq was named in the Malaysian Squad of the Year 10 times from 2006 to 2016. He was named in the AFF Squad of the Year 3 times from 2012 to 2014.


Early life

Safiq bin Rahim was born in
Seremban Seremban (Negeri Sembilan Malay: ''Somban'') is a city in the Seremban District and the capital of the state of Negeri Sembilan in Peninsular Malaysia. The city's administration is run by the Seremban Municipal Council, Seremban City Council. ...
,
Negeri Sembilan Negeri Sembilan (, Negeri Sembilan Malay: ''Nogoghi Sombilan'', ''Nismilan''), historically spelled as Negri Sembilan, is a States and federal territories of Malaysia, state in Malaysia which lies on the Peninsular Malaysia#Other features, wes ...
and grew up in
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 ...
. His passion towards football began when he was a kid. At first, his parents did not approve of him being a professional footballer as they wanted him to focus on academics. As a result, he entered SMK Seksyen 11 (Sekolah Sukan Selangor) and
Bukit Jalil Sports School The Bukit Jalil Sports School (BJSS) (, SSBJ) is the first sports school in Malaysia. The school is located at the Kompleks Sukan Negara, National Sports Complex compound in Bukit Jalil, Kuala Lumpur. Sekolah Sukan Bukit Jalil was opened in 19 ...
from 2003 to 2004 to further his studies.


Club career


Selangor

Safiq was promoted to the Selangor first team in the 2006/2007 season. Under
Dollah Salleh Dollah Salleh (born 10 October 1963) is a Malaysian Association football, football head coach, coach and former player. He is well-known to Malaysia Super League, MSL fans as Pablo Dollah. One of Malaysia's most decorated players, he has also ...
, he made his debut on 27 December 2006 in a 3-1 defeat against
Negeri Sembilan Negeri Sembilan (, Negeri Sembilan Malay: ''Nogoghi Sombilan'', ''Nismilan''), historically spelled as Negri Sembilan, is a States and federal territories of Malaysia, state in Malaysia which lies on the Peninsular Malaysia#Other features, wes ...
which he came in as a substitute. In his first season with Selangor, he was nominated as the Most Promising Player for the 2007 FAM National Football Award. In the 2007/2008 season, Safiq secured his place in the starting eleven of Selangor's first team, helping Selangor finished 4th in the
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 ...
and runners-up in both
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 ...
and
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 ...
. In the 2008
Malaysia President Cup The Piala Presiden () is a developmental football competition in Malaysia for under-21 players. The cup consists of developmental squads from clubs competing in the top two divisions of Malaysian football league system. The president in the ti ...
final, Safiq's only goal gave Selangor U-21 a 1-0 win over Perak U-21.


KL PLUS

On 19 September 2008, Safiq signed a contract with newly promoted club KL PLUS after he turned down the
Football Association of Selangor The Football Association of Selangor (), also known as FAS, is the governing body of football for the state of Selangor, Malaysia. Administration The FAS mission is governing grassroots, community, social, amateur, and semi-pro football across ...
's offer to extend his contract. Safiq contribute 2 league goals against Pahang and Kuala Muda Naza. At the end of 2009 season, Safiq left KL PLUS and returned to
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 ...
.


Return to Selangor

On 1 December 2009, it was announced that Safiq signed with
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 ...
for a second stint from KL PLUS. He was handed the number 8 jersey ahead of the 2010 season. Safiq made his season debut for Selangor in a 1–2 win over
Negeri Sembilan Negeri Sembilan (, Negeri Sembilan Malay: ''Nogoghi Sombilan'', ''Nismilan''), historically spelled as Negri Sembilan, is a States and federal territories of Malaysia, state in Malaysia which lies on the Peninsular Malaysia#Other features, wes ...
in the Sultan Haji Ahmad Shah Cup at
Tuanku Abdul Rahman Stadium The Tuanku Abdul Rahman Stadium (STAR; Malay: ), also known by its informal name Stadium Paroi or Paroi Stadium and nickname The STAR of Paroi, is a multi-purpose stadium in Paroi, Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia. It is currently used mostly for ...
. On 19 January 2010, he scored his first goal for Selangor in a 4–0 win over
Pahang {{Infobox political division , name = Pahang , official_name = Pahang Darul Makmur , native_name = , settlement_type = States and federal territories of Malaysia, State , image_skyline = , imagesize ...
. On 23 February 2010, Safiq made his
AFC Cup The AFC Champions League Two (abbreviated as the ACL Two or ACL2) is an annual continental club football competition organised by the Asian Football Confederation. It is the second-tier competition of Asian club football, ranked below the AFC C ...
debut in a 0–0 draw against Vietnamese Becamex Bình Dương at
Shah Alam Stadium The Shah Alam Stadium () was a multi-purpose stadium and one of the largest stadiums in the world located in Shah Alam, Selangor, Malaysia. It was used mostly for Association football, football matches but also had facilities for Sport of athle ...
. He scored his first AFC Cup goal in a 5–0 win over Maldivian
Victory SC Victory Sportif Club, commonly known as Victory, is a Haitian professional football club based in Port-au-Prince. History Early years Victory Sportif Club was founded by Augustin R. Viau on 7 March 1945. They were affiliated in 1947 by the FHF ...
on 6 April 2010. Safiq has scored 9 goals in all competitions during his season debut. He was part of the
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 ...
team that won the 2010 Super League Malaysia and the 2010 Malaysia Charity Shield. In the 2011 season, Safiq his season first appearance in a 0–2 defeat to
Kelantan Kelantan (; Kelantan-Pattani Malay, Kelantanese Malay: ''Klate''; ) is a state in Malaysia. The capital, Kota Bharu, includes the royal seat of Kubang Kerian. The honorific, honorific name of the state is ''Darul Naim'' ("The Blissful Abode"). ...
in a
Malaysia Charity Shield 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 ...
match on 29 January 2011. Safiq played as a starter before being substituted with Fitri Shazwan in the 46th minute of the match. Safiq scored his first goal of the season on 12 March 2011, in an away match against
Negeri Sembilan Negeri Sembilan (, Negeri Sembilan Malay: ''Nogoghi Sombilan'', ''Nismilan''), historically spelled as Negri Sembilan, is a States and federal territories of Malaysia, state in Malaysia which lies on the Peninsular Malaysia#Other features, wes ...
. The match ended in a 2–1 victory for Selangor. He added his second goal of the season on 16 April 2011 against
Perak Perak (; Perak Malay: ''Peghok'') is a States and federal territories of Malaysia, state of Malaysia on the west coast of the Malay Peninsula. Perak has land borders with the Malaysian states of Kedah to the north, Penang to the northwest, Kel ...
in a 1–0 home win. Overall Safiq has scored 11 goals in all 2011 season competitions and made 26 league appearances with 23 times as a starter. On 30 June 2011, Indonesian club,
Persib Bandung Persatuan Sepakbola Indonesia Bandung (), also known in acronym as Persib (), is an Indonesian professional football club based in Bandung, West Java. The club competes in the Liga 1, the top tier of Indonesian football. Founded in 1919 as ...
announced that they would give him a contract for the 2011–12 Indonesia Super League season, which he later chose to reject. In August 2011 after the
2011 Malaysia Cup The 2011 Malaysia Cup ( Malay: ''Piala Malaysia 2011'') was the 85th edition of the Malaysia Cup. The soccer competition began on 6 September 2011 and concluded on 29 October 2011 with the final held at Shah Alam Stadium, Shah Alam. A total of 16 ...
campaign ended, Safiq was given a three-week trial from the Welsh club,
Cardiff City Cardiff City Football Club () is a professional association football club based in Cardiff, Wales. It currently competes in , the third tier of the English football league system in the 2025–26 season following relegation. Founded in 1899 a ...
with the help of the Cardiff owner,
Chan Tien Ghee Dato Chan Tien Ghee (), more commonly known as TG, is a Malaysian businessman, who was the chairman of Cardiff City Football Club from May 2010 to March 2013. Cardiff City Chan Tien Ghee became chairman on 27 May 2010. His aim was to get Card ...
who is also a Malaysian, along with fellow Malaysian
Safee Sali Mohd Safee bin Mohd Sali (born 29 January 1984) is a former Malaysian footballer who played as forward. He played for Kuala Lumpur FA, Telekom Melaka, Sarawak, Selangor, Johor Darul Ta'zim, PKNS, Perlis and Petaling Jaya City before return ...
. Safiq officially underwent his three-week trial began on 24 November 2011 and ended on 11 December 2011. On 24 October 2011, Safiq refused to undergo a trial with the Indonesian, Arema-Pelita club. On 30 November 2011, Safiq was honoured with the FAM National Football Awards for the Best Midfielder Award, as voted by the public. For the 2012 season, Safiq scored his first goal of the season in his season debut match in a 2–2 draw against
Negeri Sembilan Negeri Sembilan (, Negeri Sembilan Malay: ''Nogoghi Sombilan'', ''Nismilan''), historically spelled as Negri Sembilan, is a States and federal territories of Malaysia, state in Malaysia which lies on the Peninsular Malaysia#Other features, wes ...
on 10 January 2012 at
Tuanku Abdul Rahman Stadium The Tuanku Abdul Rahman Stadium (STAR; Malay: ), also known by its informal name Stadium Paroi or Paroi Stadium and nickname The STAR of Paroi, is a multi-purpose stadium in Paroi, Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia. It is currently used mostly for ...
in
Paroi Paroi is an area in Seremban District, Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia. It is the eastern suburb of the city of Seremban, consisting of housing estates and villages. Numerous sport facilities are built in Paroi, especially the state stadium, the Tu ...
. He continued his good form with the winning goal in a 1–0 win over
Perak Perak (; Perak Malay: ''Peghok'') is a States and federal territories of Malaysia, state of Malaysia on the west coast of the Malay Peninsula. Perak has land borders with the Malaysian states of Kedah to the north, Penang to the northwest, Kel ...
the following week. On 18 February 2012, Safiq scored twice in a 0–4 win over Shahzan Muda for the
FA Cup The Football Association Challenge Cup, more commonly known as the FA Cup, is an annual Single-elimination tournament, knockout association football, football competition in domestic Football in England, English football. First played during ...
match in
Temerloh Mini Stadium Stadium Majlis Perbandaran Temerloh, also known as Stadium Temerloh, is a multi-purpose stadium located in Temerloh, Pahang, Malaysia. It is currently used mostly for football (soccer), football matches, with a capacity of 10,000 seats. The sta ...
. On 25 August 2012, Safiq scored the first goal in a 2–2 draw against
Pahang {{Infobox political division , name = Pahang , official_name = Pahang Darul Makmur , native_name = , settlement_type = States and federal territories of Malaysia, State , image_skyline = , imagesize ...
for the
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 ...
group stage match. Three days later, in the Malaysia Cup campaign, Safiq scored a winning goal through a penalty kick in the 80th minute of the match. As Selangor advanced to the quarter-finals of the Malaysia Cup, Safiq's other goal came in a 1–3 win over
Johor FC Johor Darul Ta'zim Football Club, or simply JDT, is a professional football club based in Johor Bahru, Johor, Malaysia, that competes in the Malaysia Super League, the top tier of Malaysian football. Founded in 1972 as PKENJ FC, the club was ...
on 25 September 2012 in the first leg. Safiq concluded his 2012 season with 10 goals in all competitions.


Johor Darul Ta'zim

After his contract with Selangor expired on 30 November 2012, Safiq was set to join
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 ...
for the 2013 season. On 1 December 2013, he signed a one-year contract with an option for another year with the club. It was reported that Safiq was among the highest-paid local players with a monthly salary of RM 70,000 (around US$17,000). Safiq made his debut and scored in the opening match of the
2013 Malaysia Super League The 2013 Liga Super () also known as the Astro Liga Super for sponsorship reasons, is the 10th season of the Liga Super, the top-tier professional football league in Malaysia.
against
Pahang {{Infobox political division , name = Pahang , official_name = Pahang Darul Makmur , native_name = , settlement_type = States and federal territories of Malaysia, State , image_skyline = , imagesize ...
. In 2015, he was named club captain and was part of the squad that won the
2015 AFC Cup The 2015 AFC Cup was the 12th edition of the AFC Cup, Asia's secondary club football tournament organized by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC). Johor Darul Ta'zim from Malaysia won the tournament after defeating Istiklol from Tajikistan in ...
. On 31 November 2015, he captained the side for the
final Final, Finals or The Final may refer to: *Final examination or finals, a test given at the end of a course of study or training *Final (competition), the last or championship round of a sporting competition, match, game, or other contest which d ...
, playing the full 90 minutes and being voted man of the match in a 1–0 victory against
FC Istiklol Football Club Istiklol () is a Tajik professional football club owned by Maldivian Conglomerate Maziya. Founded in 2007, the club competes in the Ligai Olii Tojikiston, the top flight of Tajik football league system. It was founded to commemo ...
at
Pamir Stadium The Markazii Jumhuriyavii Stadium () or Republican Central Stadium, formerly known as Pamir Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium in Dushanbe, Tajikistan. It is currently used mostly for football matches. The stadium currently holds 20,000. It is cu ...
. Safiq was named as the 2015 AFC Cup's Most Valuable Player and lauded his Johor Darul Ta’zim teammates after the club became the first from Malaysia to claim a continental title. On 14 December 2015, Safiq signed a new four-year contract with Johor Darul Ta'zim until 2019. On 2 November 2018, Safiq leaves Johor Darul Ta'zim after six seasons. According to club owner,
Tunku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim Major General Tunku Ismail ibni Sultan Ibrahim (; born 30 June 1984), is the heir apparent to the Johor throne. He is the eldest son of Sultan Ibrahim Iskandar and Raja Zarith Sofiah. Ismail is the Regent (Pemangku Sultan) and Crown Prince ...
described Safiq, who signed from Selangor back in 2013, as one of his best players as he helped the Southern Tigers achieve success in both domestic and international competitions. He added in his latest Facebook post, ''“In my sincere opinion, he (Safiq) has been the most successful player at Johor Darul Ta’zim and has helped the Southern Tigers achieve our goals. The most successful player, the best captain in the history of JDT and a great player who has not only contributed to JDT, but also to Selangor and the national team”''. Then, Tunku Ismail said the door would always be open for Safiq to return in the future. Safiq won multiple trophies with JDT, including five straight
Super League Super League (also known as the Betfred Super League for sponsorship reasons, and legally Super League Europe Ltd.) is a professional rugby league competition, and the highest level of the British rugby league system, which consists of twelve t ...
titles since 2014, the 2015 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Cup, the 2016 FA Cup and the
2017 Malaysia Cup The 2017 Malaysia Cup ( Malay: ''Piala Malaysia 2017'') was the 91st edition of the Malaysia Cup tournament organised by Football Association of Malaysia. The 2017 Malaysia Cup began on August with a preliminary round. A total of 16 teams took pa ...
. He also won the 2010 ASEAN Football Federation title with the national senior squad as well as the gold medal with the under-23 squad in the 2009 Laos SEA Games.


Melaka United

On 10 December 2018, Safiq joined Melaka United for the 2019 Malaysian league season. He signed a one-year contract for a Malacca-city-based club, alongside his national teammate,
Razman Roslan Razman Roslan (born 14 August 1984) is a former Malaysian professional footballer and Malaysian football pundit. He mainly plays as a centre-back throughout his career but can also play as a right-back . Club career Razman began his career wi ...
and also
Felda United Felda United Football Club was a Malaysian football club based in Jengka, Pahang, owned by the Malaysian Federal Land Development Authority (FELDA).
's former captain
Shukor Adan Muhammad Shukor bin Adan (born 24 September 1979), is a former Malaysian professional footballer. He played for many teams in Malaysian Football League such as Selangor and also Negeri Sembilan FA. He plays mainly as a defensive midfielder but ...
.


Return to Johor Darul Ta'zim

Safiq returned to Johor Darul Ta'zim in February 2021 after playing for two seasons with Melaka United. On 3 July 2023, Safiq came off the bench and scored his 50th Malaysia Super League goal in a 6–1 win over Kuala Lumpur City.


International career


Youth

Safiq started his international career with Malaysia U-20 team at aged 17 under K. Rajagobal. He has participated in
2004 AFC Youth Championship The 2004 AFC Youth Championship was the 33rd instance of the AFC Youth Championship. It was held from 25 September to 9 October 2004 in Malaysia. The tournament was won by for the eleventh time by South Korea in the final against China PR. V ...
which Malaysia has lost 0–3 to
China PR China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the second-most populous country after India, representing 17.4% of the world population. China spans the e ...
in the quarterfinal. Safiq also was part of the team which qualified for the
2006 AFC Youth Championship The 2006 AFC Youth Championship was the 34th instance of the AFC Youth Championship. It was held from 29 October to 12 November 2006 in India. It was the first time for India to host this tournament. Sixteen teams from the AFC qualified to the f ...
in
India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...
which they were finished at the bottom place of the group stage.


Malaysia U-23

Safiq was called up by Malaysia U-23 national coach K.Rajagobal for
2009 Southeast Asian Games The 2009 Southeast Asian Games (, Romanization of Lao, translit. Kila phoumipak asi taven oak siang tai 2009), officially known as the 25th Southeast Asian Games, were a Southeast Asian multi-sport event hosted by Vientiane, Laos. This was the ...
in Vientiane, Laos. In that tournament, he captained the team throughout the campaign and scoring 3 goals to assist the national U-23 sides to win the gold medal for the first time after 20 years since the team won it in 1989.


Senior

Safiq has represented Malaysia since 2005. He earned his first full international cap against
Myanmar Myanmar, officially the Republic of the Union of Myanmar; and also referred to as Burma (the official English name until 1989), is a country in northwest Southeast Asia. It is the largest country by area in Mainland Southeast Asia and has ...
in the
2007 ASEAN Football Championship The 2007 AFF Championship (officially designated as the ASEAN Football Championship 2007) was the 6th edition of the AFF Championship, the football championship of Southeast Asia. The group stage was co-hosted by Singapore and Thailand from 12 t ...
in January 2007 at age 20. Since then he only made appearances with the under-23 national team. He scored his first international senior goal in an unofficial friendly match against
Zimbabwe file:Zimbabwe, relief map.jpg, upright=1.22, Zimbabwe, relief map Zimbabwe, officially the Republic of Zimbabwe, is a landlocked country in Southeast Africa, between the Zambezi and Limpopo Rivers, bordered by South Africa to the south, Bots ...
on 12 July 2009. Safiq scored twice from a free kick in a friendly against
Singapore Singapore, officially the Republic of Singapore, is an island country and city-state in Southeast Asia. The country's territory comprises one main island, 63 satellite islands and islets, and one outlying islet. It is about one degree ...
on 8 and 12 June 2012 consecutively. On 16 October 2012, he scored another goal, again from a free kick in a 3–0 win over
Hong Kong Hong Kong)., Legally Hong Kong, China in international treaties and organizations. is a special administrative region of China. With 7.5 million residents in a territory, Hong Kong is the fourth most densely populated region in the wor ...
. On 27 January 2015,
FIFA.com The Fédération Internationale de Football Association (), more commonly known by its acronym FIFA ( ), is the international self-regulatory governing body of association football, beach soccer, and futsal. It was founded on 21 May 1904 to o ...
has published an article about his expertise in taking a free kick after skippering his side to a runners-up finish in
2014 AFF Suzuki Cup The 2014 AFF Championship, sponsored by Suzuki and officially known as the 2014 AFF Suzuki Cup, was the 10th edition of the AFF Championship, an international association football competition consisting of national teams of member nations of the ...
. Safiq who also the top-scorer during the tournament has scored 5 goals from set pieces. On 12 July 2016, Safiq announced his retirement from international football via his football club's website and Facebook page. He retired from national team alongside fellow club teammate,
Aidil Zafuan Mohamad Aidil Zafuan bin Abd. Radzak (born 3 August 1987) also known as Aidil Zafuan, is a Malaysian retired professional footballer who last played primarily as a centre-back and is currently working as an assistant coach for Malaysia Super L ...
. On 29 March 2017, Safiq announced to come back from retirement after club owner Johor Darul Ta'zim FC became the new president of FAM and also to contribute his experience and skill he gathered from his club for his lovely national team. Once he made a comeback, the national team became more spirit with a short pass, (
tiki-taka Tiki-taka ( Catalan and , ) is a style of play in football characterised by short passing and movement, working the ball through various channels, and maintaining possession. The style is primarily associated with the Spain national team s ...
) playing style. On 10 October 2017, Safiq was shown a straight red card 2019 AFC Asian Cup qualifying match away to
Hong Kong Hong Kong)., Legally Hong Kong, China in international treaties and organizations. is a special administrative region of China. With 7.5 million residents in a territory, Hong Kong is the fourth most densely populated region in the wor ...
for stamping on
Daniel Cancela Daniel "Dani" Cancela Rodríguez (; born 23 September 1981) is a former professional footballer who played as a left-back. Born in Spain, he spent most of his career with Kitchee in Hong Kong after signing in 2010, eventually going on to repre ...
. Malaysia lost the match 0-2. Safiq is also part of the Malaysian team that qualified for 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 ...
. He played 2 matches against
Turkmenistan Turkmenistan is a landlocked country in Central Asia bordered by Kazakhstan to the northwest, Uzbekistan to the north, east and northeast, Afghanistan to the southeast, Iran to the south and southwest and the Caspian Sea to the west. Ash ...
and
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 ...
in Third Round Group E Qualification.


2010 AFF Championship

Safiq was selected by
Malaysia Malaysia is a country in Southeast Asia. Featuring the Tanjung Piai, southernmost point of continental Eurasia, it is a federation, federal constitutional monarchy consisting of States and federal territories of Malaysia, 13 states and thre ...
to captain the Malaysian team in the
2010 AFF Championship The 2010 AFF Championship, sponsored by Suzuki and P&G and officially known as the 2010 AFF Suzuki Cup, was the 8th edition of the AFF Championship, took place on 1–29 December 2010. Indonesia and Vietnam hosted the group stage from 1 to 8 De ...
co-hosted by
Indonesia Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania, between the Indian Ocean, Indian and Pacific Ocean, Pacific oceans. Comprising over List of islands of Indonesia, 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, ...
and
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 ...
. Safiq made all 7 appearances throughout the tournament. It was the first time in history that Malaysia won the
AFF Championship The ASEAN Championship (formerly known as the AFF Championship or AFF Cup), currently known as the ASEAN Hyundai Cup for sponsorship reasons, is the biennial football tournament organized by the ASEAN Football Federation (AFF) for men's natio ...
title.


2012 AFF Championship

Safiq made his first
2012 AFF Championship The 2012 AFF Championship, sponsored by Suzuki and officially known as the 2012 AFF Suzuki Cup, was the 9th edition of the AFF Championship, the football championship of Southeast Asia. It was co-hosted for group stage by Malaysia and Thailand a ...
in a 0–3 defeat to
Singapore Singapore, officially the Republic of Singapore, is an island country and city-state in Southeast Asia. The country's territory comprises one main island, 63 satellite islands and islets, and one outlying islet. It is about one degree ...
in their group stage first match on 25 November 2012. On 28 November 2012, Safiq scored the opening goal with a free kick in 1–4 win over
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 ...
.


2014 AFF Championship

On 19 November 2014, Safiq was named in the Malaysia squad for the
2014 AFF Championship The 2014 AFF Championship, sponsored by Suzuki and officially known as the 2014 AFF Suzuki Cup, was the 10th edition of the AFF Championship, an international association football competition consisting of national teams of member nations of the ...
. On 26 November 2014, Safiq scored one goal in a 2–3 defeat to
Thailand Thailand, officially the Kingdom of Thailand and historically known as Siam (the official name until 1939), is a country in Southeast Asia on the Mainland Southeast Asia, Indochinese Peninsula. With a population of almost 66 million, it spa ...
. He scored the match first goal in the 28th minute before
Adisak Kraisorn Adisak Kraisorn (; born 1 February 1991) is a Thai professional footballer who plays as a striker for Thai League 2 club Chonburi. Club career He played and scored for Buriram PEA in 2011 and went on to win the League title. After winning the ...
made an equaliser 2 minutes before the half time. In the final group stage match against
Singapore Singapore, officially the Republic of Singapore, is an island country and city-state in Southeast Asia. The country's territory comprises one main island, 63 satellite islands and islets, and one outlying islet. It is about one degree ...
, Safiq's combative display and enterprise shone through and he was statistically the player with the most passes and touches on the ball. His best trait though is not in his cultured right foot, but in his mind, when he calmly converted the penalty in the Lion's den amidst the jeers and mocking by the partisan crowd helping Malaysia to progress to knockout stage. In the first leg semi final match 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 ...
, Safiq converted another penalty but Malaysia lost 1–2. In the second leg, Safiq scored the opening goal after Malaysia received a penalty kick in the 4th minutes. In the second leg of the
2014 AFF Championship The 2014 AFF Championship, sponsored by Suzuki and officially known as the 2014 AFF Suzuki Cup, was the 10th edition of the AFF Championship, an international association football competition consisting of national teams of member nations of the ...
final, Safiq scored another penalty in the 7th minutes. He then scored his sixth goal of the tournament, a free kick but two late goals from Thailand resulted in Malaysia losing 3–4 on aggregate. With his 6-goal haul, Safiq became the first midfielder in the tournament's 18-year history to have picked up the Golden Boot award.


Malaysia XI

On 13 and 16 July 2011, Safiq captained the
Malaysia XI The Malaysia League XI, commonly known as MSL All Stars, Malaysia Selection or Malaysia League Selection, represents the Malaysia Super League in friendly matches. Malaysia League XI mainly plays friendly international matches against clubs, ...
in their matches against
Arsenal An arsenal is a place where arms and ammunition are made, maintained and repaired, stored, or issued, in any combination, whether privately or publicly owned. Arsenal and armoury (British English) or armory (American English) are mostly ...
and
Liverpool Liverpool is a port City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. It is situated on the eastern side of the River Mersey, Mersey Estuary, near the Irish Sea, north-west of London. With a population ...
. Malaysia XI lost 0–4 against
Arsenal An arsenal is a place where arms and ammunition are made, maintained and repaired, stored, or issued, in any combination, whether privately or publicly owned. Arsenal and armoury (British English) or armory (American English) are mostly ...
. Just before the stroke of half time against
Liverpool Liverpool is a port City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. It is situated on the eastern side of the River Mersey, Mersey Estuary, near the Irish Sea, north-west of London. With a population ...
, with Malaysia trailing 0–1, Safiq scored from a free-kick to equalise for Malaysia. Despite a spirited comeback,
Malaysia XI The Malaysia League XI, commonly known as MSL All Stars, Malaysia Selection or Malaysia League Selection, represents the Malaysia Super League in friendly matches. Malaysia League XI mainly plays friendly international matches against clubs, ...
went on to lose 3–6 to
Liverpool Liverpool is a port City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. It is situated on the eastern side of the River Mersey, Mersey Estuary, near the Irish Sea, north-west of London. With a population ...
.


Personal life

Safiq is the eldest child of Rahim bin Muhd. Yatim and Aidah binti Majid. He has a sister, Safiqa. Safiq is married to
Malaysia Malaysia is a country in Southeast Asia. Featuring the Tanjung Piai, southernmost point of continental Eurasia, it is a federation, federal constitutional monarchy consisting of States and federal territories of Malaysia, 13 states and thre ...
n professional
ten-pin bowler Tenpin bowling is a type of bowling in which a bowler rolls a bowling ball down a wood or synthetic lane toward ten pins positioned evenly in four rows in an equilateral triangle. The goal is to knock down all ten pins on the first roll of the ...
, Zandra Aziela. On 7 May 2024, Safiq was accosted by two individuals on a motorcycle who threatened him with a hammer and smashed his car's window. Two people were arrested, one of whom was later released.


Career statistics


Club


International


International goals

:''As of match played 8 June 2022. Malaysia score listed first, score column indicates score after each Safiq goal.'' Note:


Honours


Club

Selangor * President Cup :
2008 2008 was designated as: *International Year of Languages *International Year of Planet Earth *International Year of the Potato *International Year of Sanitation The Great Recession, a worldwide recession which began in 2007, continued throu ...
*
Malaysia Charity Shield 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 ...
: 2010 *
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 ...
:
2010 The year saw a multitude of natural and environmental disasters such as the 2010 Haiti earthquake, the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, and the 2010 Chile earthquake. The 2009 swine flu pandemic, swine flu pandemic which began the previous year ...
Johor Darul Ta'zim *
AFC Cup The AFC Champions League Two (abbreviated as the ACL Two or ACL2) is an annual continental club football competition organised by the Asian Football Confederation. It is the second-tier competition of Asian club football, ranked below the AFC C ...
:
2015 2015 was designated by the United Nations as: * International Year of Light * International Year of Soil __TOC__ Events January * January 1 – Lithuania officially adopts the euro as its currency, replacing the litas, and becomes ...
*
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 ...
:
2014 The year 2014 was marked by the surge of the Western African Ebola epidemic, West African Ebola epidemic, which began in 2013, becoming the List of Ebola outbreaks, most widespread outbreak of the Ebola, Ebola virus in human history, resul ...
,
2015 2015 was designated by the United Nations as: * International Year of Light * International Year of Soil __TOC__ Events January * January 1 – Lithuania officially adopts the euro as its currency, replacing the litas, and becomes ...
,
2016 2016 was designated as: * International Year of Pulses by the sixty-eighth session of the United Nations General Assembly. * International Year of Global Understanding (IYGU) by the International Council for Science (ICSU), the Internationa ...
,
2017 2017 was designated as the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development by the United Nations General Assembly. Events January * January 1 – Istanbul nightclub shooting: A gunman dressed as Santa Claus opens fire at the ...
,
2018 Events January * January 1 – Bulgaria takes over the Presidency of the Council of the European Union, after the Estonian presidency. * January 4 – SPLM-IO rebels loyal to Chan Garang Lual start a raid against Juba, capital of ...
,
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 ...
:
2016 2016 was designated as: * International Year of Pulses by the sixty-eighth session of the United Nations General Assembly. * International Year of Global Understanding (IYGU) by the International Council for Science (ICSU), the Internationa ...
,
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 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 ...
*
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 ...
:
2015 2015 was designated by the United Nations as: * International Year of Light * International Year of Soil __TOC__ Events January * January 1 – Lithuania officially adopts the euro as its currency, replacing the litas, and becomes ...
,
2016 2016 was designated as: * International Year of Pulses by the sixty-eighth session of the United Nations General Assembly. * International Year of Global Understanding (IYGU) by the International Council for Science (ICSU), the Internationa ...
,
2018 Events January * January 1 – Bulgaria takes over the Presidency of the Council of the European Union, after the Estonian presidency. * January 4 – SPLM-IO rebels loyal to Chan Garang Lual start a raid against Juba, capital of ...
,
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 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 ...
:
2017 2017 was designated as the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development by the United Nations General Assembly. Events January * January 1 – Istanbul nightclub shooting: A gunman dressed as Santa Claus opens fire at the ...
,
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 ...
, 2024–25


International

;Malaysia U-18 *
Lion City Cup The Lion City Cup is a youth football tournament for boys. It was founded in 1977 by then Football Association of Singapore chairman Nadesan Ganesan, who organized the only Under-16 football tournament in the world, following the recommendation o ...
: 2005 ;Malaysia U-23 *
SEA Games The Southeast Asian Games, commonly known as SEA Games is a biennial multi-sport event involving participants from the current 11 countries of Southeast Asia. The games are under the regulation of the Southeast Asian Games Federation with su ...
:
2009 2009 was designated as the International Year of Astronomy by the United Nations to coincide with the 400th anniversary of Galileo Galilei's first known astronomical studies with a telescope and the publication of Astronomia Nova by Joha ...
;Malaysia *
AFF Championship The ASEAN Championship (formerly known as the AFF Championship or AFF Cup), currently known as the ASEAN Hyundai Cup for sponsorship reasons, is the biennial football tournament organized by the ASEAN Football Federation (AFF) for men's natio ...
:
2010 The year saw a multitude of natural and environmental disasters such as the 2010 Haiti earthquake, the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, and the 2010 Chile earthquake. The 2009 swine flu pandemic, swine flu pandemic which began the previous year ...
champions;
2014 The year 2014 was marked by the surge of the Western African Ebola epidemic, West African Ebola epidemic, which began in 2013, becoming the List of Ebola outbreaks, most widespread outbreak of the Ebola, Ebola virus in human history, resul ...
runner-ups


Individual


Awards

* FAM Football Awards – Best Midfielder:
2011 The year marked the start of a Arab Spring, series of protests and revolutions throughout the Arab world advocating for democracy, reform, and economic recovery, later leading to the depositions of world leaders in Tunisia, Egypt, and Yemen ...
,
2012 2012 was designated as: *International Year of Cooperatives *International Year of Sustainable Energy for All Events January *January 4 – The Cicada 3301 internet hunt begins. * January 12 – Peaceful protests begin in the R ...
,
2015 2015 was designated by the United Nations as: * International Year of Light * International Year of Soil __TOC__ Events January * January 1 – Lithuania officially adopts the euro as its currency, replacing the litas, and becomes ...
,
2016 2016 was designated as: * International Year of Pulses by the sixty-eighth session of the United Nations General Assembly. * International Year of Global Understanding (IYGU) by the International Council for Science (ICSU), the Internationa ...
* FAM Football Awards – Most Valuable Player:
2015 2015 was designated by the United Nations as: * International Year of Light * International Year of Soil __TOC__ Events January * January 1 – Lithuania officially adopts the euro as its currency, replacing the litas, and becomes ...
* AFF Best XI (2012 AFF Championship):
2012 2012 was designated as: *International Year of Cooperatives *International Year of Sustainable Energy for All Events January *January 4 – The Cicada 3301 internet hunt begins. * January 12 – Peaceful protests begin in the R ...
*
AFF Championship The ASEAN Championship (formerly known as the AFF Championship or AFF Cup), currently known as the ASEAN Hyundai Cup for sponsorship reasons, is the biennial football tournament organized by the ASEAN Football Federation (AFF) for men's natio ...
All-time XI: 2021 *
ASEAN Football Federation The ASEAN Football Federation (AFF) is an organisation within the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) and is an international governing body of association football, futsal, and beach soccer in Southeast Asia. It consists of the federations of Fo ...
Best XI: 2013 * Malaysia Cup Final Best Player:
2014 The year 2014 was marked by the surge of the Western African Ebola epidemic, West African Ebola epidemic, which began in 2013, becoming the List of Ebola outbreaks, most widespread outbreak of the Ebola, Ebola virus in human history, resul ...
*
ASEAN All-Stars The ASEAN All-Stars is a football team founded by the ASEAN Football Federation in 2014. The team is made up of Southeast Asia internationals and selected players from the regional leagues. History 2014 team The ASEAN Football Federation (AFF) ...
:
2014 The year 2014 was marked by the surge of the Western African Ebola epidemic, West African Ebola epidemic, which began in 2013, becoming the List of Ebola outbreaks, most widespread outbreak of the Ebola, Ebola virus in human history, resul ...
* AFC Cup Most Valuable Player:
2015 2015 was designated by the United Nations as: * International Year of Light * International Year of Soil __TOC__ Events January * January 1 – Lithuania officially adopts the euro as its currency, replacing the litas, and becomes ...
* Goal.com The Best Malaysia XI of all time: 2020


Performances

* AFF Championship Top Scorer :
2014 The year 2014 was marked by the surge of the Western African Ebola epidemic, West African Ebola epidemic, which began in 2013, becoming the List of Ebola outbreaks, most widespread outbreak of the Ebola, Ebola virus in human history, resul ...


References


External links


Johor Darul Ta'zim official profile
* * * {{Johor Darul Ta'zim F.C. squad 1987 births Living people Malaysian people of Malay descent Footballers from Selangor Malaysian men's footballers Malaysia men's international footballers Selangor F.C. players Johor Darul Ta'zim F.C. players Malaysia Super League players 21st-century Malaysian sportsmen Men's association football midfielders Footballers at the 2006 Asian Games Footballers at the 2010 Asian Games SEA Games gold medalists for Malaysia SEA Games medalists in football Melaka United F.C. players Competitors at the 2009 SEA Games Asian Games competitors for Malaysia