Sabah
Sabah Football Club is a Malaysian professional football club founded in the 1950s as North Borneo football team, representing the state of Sabah in Borneo. The club competes in the Malaysia Super League, the top tier of Malaysian football, and plays their home matches at the 35,000-capacity Likas Stadium in Kota Kinabalu. Notable achievements in their history include winning the Malaysia FA Cup in 1995, the Malaysian Premier League in 1996, and the Malaysia Premier League in 2019. The club also made their mark in continental competition by advancing to the second round of the Asian Cup Winners' Cup in 1995.
History
Overview
General information about the club
Sabah Football Club is owned by Sabah Football Club Sdn Bhd and represents the state of Sabah in the Malaysian football system. Until 2021, the club operated as Sabah FA, one of the 14 state teams funded and managed by SAFA. However, Malaysian football league regulations mandating professionalization in the top two leagues led to the privatisation of SAFA and the formation of the current club structure.
Most recent season and achievements
In the 2022 Malaysia Super League, Sabah finished in third place, which earned them a return to continental club competition for the first time since 1995-96. They made their debut in the 2023-24 AFC Cup, competing in group H alongside Haiphong, Hougang United, and PSM Makassar. Their continental journey ended in the ASEAN Zonal semi-final, where they were defeated 0-3 by Macarthur FC.
History
Early years
From the 1950s until 1963, Sabah competed as North Borneo football team in the Borneo Cup together with Sarawak football team and Brunei national football team. Following the formation of the Federation of Malaysia, the North Borneo Football Association changed its name to Sabah Football Association. Sabah qualified into the Malaysia Cup for the first time in 1977 and entered the competition in 1978.
Successful period
Sabah was a well-known team during the Malaysian football amateur and semi-pro era, producing quality players including the trio of James Wong, Hassan Sani, and Peter Rajah. These players led Sabah to become one of Malaysian football's most feared teams during the 1980s. A notable example was the 1979 Malaysian League where Sabah finished as runners-up behind Singapore and became the highest scoring team with 49 goals in 12 games, including impressive victories such as an 8-0 thrashing of Sarawak and an 11-0 hammering of Perak.
When professional football was introduced, Sabah made a reputation as one of the Malaysian League's most competitive sides. Quality players emerged from the ranks during the 1990s, most notably Matlan Marjan, who helped Sabah finish as runners-up in the 1993 and 1994 Malaysia FA Cup. Sabah won their first professional trophy, the FA Cup, in 1995. In 1996, they won their first league title and reached the Cup final for the first time, though they were beaten by Selangor on penalties.
Crisis and recovery
The positive results were cut short by the match fixing scandal in 1994, which saw several players including Matlan banned for life by FIFA. After this setback, Sabah began its rebuilding process. The club experienced relegation to the second division in 2000 but quickly regained performance in 2001, finishing as runners-up behind Johor FC. When the Malaysia Super League was introduced in 2004, Sabah struggled to be competitive and was relegated to the Malaysia Premier League in 2005.
After six years in the second tier, Australian head coach Gary Phillips guided Sabah to promotion in 2010. However, the club faced continued struggles with relegation battles and coaching changes, including appointments of Justin Ganai, David McCreery, and Milomir Šešlija.
Current period
Following various reorganization efforts, Sabah FA was crowned champion of the 2019 Malaysia Premier League for the first time since 1996. The team secured various imports including Brazilian Luiz Júnior, South Korean Park Tae-soo, and Serbian Luka Milunović, winning 13 from 19 matches to qualify for the 2020 Malaysia Super League.
Starting from the 2021 season, the club was privatised as required by FAM regulations. Sabah Football Club Sdn Bhd was formed with Verdon Bahanda appointed as CEO on 12 November 2020. The club was renamed from Sabah FA to Sabah Football Club, and the rhino became the official mascot once again.
Achievements and Honors
Domestic competitions
Sabah has achieved notable success in Malaysian domestic competitions. The club won the Malaysia FA Cup in 1995, marking their first professional trophy. In 1996, they captured the Malaysian Premier League title, which was the top tier at that time. After years of rebuilding, the club returned to championship form by winning the Malaysia Premier League (second tier) in 2019, earning promotion back to the top flight.
Continental and global competitions
In continental competition, Sabah advanced to the second round of the Asian Cup Winners' Cup in 1995 after defeating An Giang of V. League 3-1 on aggregate, though they lost to Bellmare Hiratsuka (now Shonan Bellmare) 1-7 on aggregate. The club returned to continental competition in 2023-24, making their AFC Cup debut and reaching the ASEAN Zonal semi-finals.
Symbols and Colors
Current logo and logo history
In November 2020, following the privatisation of the club, Sabah displayed a new official logo chosen through a competition. The logo was created by Firzaruddin Zainal Abiddin and was selected based on design requirements and fan preference.
Traditional home and away kits colors
The club has maintained consistent kit partnerships throughout its history, with various manufacturers providing their apparel over the years.
Traditional club anthem
Information about the club's traditional anthem is not provided in the source material.
Traditional Rivals
Sarawak United and Kuching City
Sabah FC's neighboring rivals are Sarawak United and Kuching City, with matches between these teams referred to as the Borneo Derby, reflecting the geographical and historical connections between the Borneo-based clubs.
Club Traditions and Behind the Scenes
Sponsors
The club has had various sponsorship arrangements throughout its history. In 2014, local brand Carino was signed as their kit supplier, with Ararat Sports and BSA serving as sponsors. In preparation for the 2025-26 season, the club returned to a partnership with Adidas as their apparel partner, marking a return since 2016.
Nicknames
Sabah is commonly known as the Rhinos, reflecting their mascot and team identity that has been associated with the club since the mid-1990s.
Ownership and finances
The club is currently owned by Sabah Football Club Sdn Bhd, formed as part of the privatisation process required by Malaysian football regulations. Verdon Bahanda serves as the chief executive officer of the club.
Traditions and culture
The club has a rich supporter culture with numerous fan groups including Bola Sepak Sabah, Football Fans of Sabah, Kelab Penyokong Sabah Rhino, North Borneo Ultras (NBU), and The Rhinos Troops, among others. The mascot has evolved over time, starting as the rhino in the mid-1990s, briefly changing to a hawk in 2010, then to Tambadau in 2019, before returning to the rhino during the 2021 privatisation process.
Stadium
Likas Stadium serves as the official home stadium for Sabah, with a capacity of 22,000, making it the 8th largest football stadium in Malaysia. The stadium has been the club's home since its opening in 1983. The club also occasionally uses Penampang Stadium and Tawau Stadium for certain matches.