The first edition of the Merdeka Tournament was held in August and September 1957 in Malaya (now Malaysia). It was won by Hong Kong League XI. Singapore won a consolation tournament for teams that did not qualify for the final round.
First round
A series of knockout ties was held to determine which teams would compete in the second round. The match between South Vietnam and Singapore required a replay as the score was level at the end of the first match.
First Round Replay
Second round
The winning teams from the first round played a series of matches against one another. The team finishing top of the group was the tournament winner.
TeamPldWDLGFGAGDPtsResult Hong Kong League XI321085+35Champions320185+34310267−123012611−51
Consolation Tournament
The losing teams from the first round played a series of matches against one another as a consolation tournament. The team finishing top of the group was the winner of this tournament.
TeamPldWDLGFGAGDPts3210103+75 Burma320195+443102511−62301216−51
Goalscorers
7 goals Peter Corthine
6 goals Abdul Ghani Minhat Lê Hữu Đức
5 goals Omo Suratmo Law Kwok Tai
Notes
1. One source (P.S.S.I, "Kenang-Kenangan P.S.S.I. 50th 19 April 1930 – 19 April 1980", 1980.) report this match as a 4–2 victory to Malaya.
References