1. Early Life and Education
Mohamad Aidil Zafuan was born on 3 August 1987, in Seremban, Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia. He received his early football education at the Bukit Jalil Sports School, a prominent institution known for developing young athletic talent in Malaysia.
His formative years saw him representing his home state, Negeri Sembilan, in various youth competitions. At the age of 16, he began his journey representing Malaysia in international youth football. A significant early achievement in his career was winning a gold medal at the 2004 Sukma Games while playing for the Negeri Sembilan FA youth team in Seremban, which further solidified his reputation as a promising defender.
2. Personal Life
Mohamad Aidil Zafuan's personal life has been publicly documented. He married actress Rita Rudaini in February 2008 in Songkhla, Thailand. The couple had two sons: Airit Rayyan Rizqin and Airit Qaqa Arjuna. Aidil Zafuan and Rita Rudaini later divorced. Subsequently, he married Zarema Zainal, and they have a son named Ayden Zeeyad.
3. Playing Career
Mohamad Aidil Zafuan enjoyed a prolific professional football career spanning over a decade, distinguished by significant club-level successes and extensive international representation for Malaysia across various age groups and the senior national team.
3.1. Club Career
Aidil Zafuan's club career saw him play for several prominent Malaysian teams, most notably making a lasting impact with Johor Darul Ta'zim.
3.1.1. Negeri Sembilan
Aidil Zafuan began his professional career with Negeri Sembilan FA, being promoted to the first team in the 2005-06 Malaysia Super League season. In his debut season, Negeri Sembilan secured their first-ever Malaysia Super League title. During his tenure with Negeri Sembilan, he also achieved success in cup competitions, winning the Malaysia Cup in 2009 and 2011, and the Malaysia FA Cup in 2010.
3.1.2. Malaysian Armed Forces (ATM FA)
For the 2012 Malaysia Premier League season, Aidil signed with Malaysian Armed Forces. During his time with ATM FA, he played a crucial role in securing the Malaysia Premier League title in 2012. He also helped the team reach the final of the 2012 Malaysia Cup, where they were ultimately defeated by Kelantan.
3.1.3. Johor Darul Ta'zim (JDT)
In the 2013 season, Aidil Zafuan made a significant move to the newly rebranded Johor Darul Ta'zim, joining alongside his twin brother, Zaquan Adha. This marked the most successful period of his club career. With JDT, he was a key figure in numerous title victories, including the historic 2015 AFC Cup triumph. He also won multiple Malaysia Super League titles, Malaysia FA Cups, Malaysia Cups, and Malaysia Charity Shields.
His tenure at JDT was marked by immense success, including winning 10 consecutive Malaysia Super League titles, making him the first and only player in the league's history to achieve this feat. Mid-way through the 2021 Malaysia Super League season, he was chosen as the club captain after Hariss Harun's departure. On 16 November 2022, Aidil Zafuan made his 200th appearance for JDT across all competitions in a 1-0 away victory against Sabah. This milestone placed him among an elite group of players at the club, joining Safiq Rahim and Farizal Marlias in achieving this feat. In total, he made 211 appearances for JDT and contributed to 26 trophy wins.
3.2. International Career
Aidil Zafuan represented Malaysia at various national team levels, from youth squads to the senior national team, participating in numerous significant tournaments.
3.2.1. Youth Teams
Aidil Zafuan's international career began at a young age, representing Malaysia since he was 14 years old. He participated in two AFC Youth Championships with the Malaysia U20 side. In 2004, Malaysia reached the quarter-finals of the tournament held in Malaysia but were defeated by China. In the 2006 AFC Youth Championship held in India, he served as captain of the U20 team, though Malaysia did not advance from the group stage, scoring only one goal and conceding seven.
He joined the Malaysia U23 squad for the 2008 Olympic Games qualifier. He then represented Malaysia in the 2007 Merdeka Tournament held in Shah Alam and Petaling Jaya, where Malaysia won the tournament by defeating Myanmar 3-1 in the final. Later in 2007, he participated in the Southeast Asian Games in Korat, Thailand, but Malaysia failed to advance to the semi-finals after a draw against rivals Singapore. In 2009, he was selected as captain for the national U23 team at the 2009 Southeast Asian Games, leading Malaysia to their first gold medal in football after 20 years, with a 1-0 victory over Vietnam in the final. In 2014, he was chosen as one of the overage players for the 2014 Asian Games. He also won the Lion City Cup with the Malaysia U-18 team in 2005.
3.2.2. Senior Team
Aidil Zafuan made his debut for the senior Malaysia national team on 18 July 2007 against Cambodia, where he also scored his first international goal in his debut match. He was then selected as one of the U23 players to be part of Malaysia's squad for the 2007 AFC Asian Cup. He made an appearance in Malaysia's final group stage match against Iran, which Malaysia lost 0-2.
He received his first red card in international duty during the second leg of the 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifiers against Bahrain, resulting in a three-match ban by FIFA. Aidil also represented Malaysia in the 2008 AFF Championship and 2012 AFF Championship, missing the 2010 AFF Championship due to injury.
On 12 July 2016, with 71 international caps, Aidil announced his retirement from international football, along with three other teammates, including then-captain Safiq Rahim. However, he returned to international football in 2017 under coach Tan Cheng Hoe. He was part of Malaysia's squad for the 2018 AFF Championship, earning 82 international caps during the tournament. In 2019, he earned his 83rd international cap against Sri Lanka. He achieved his 100th international appearance for Malaysia during the 2020 AFF Championship match against Vietnam on 12 December 2021. Throughout his international career, Aidil played a total of 101 matches for Malaysia, comprising 98 'A' international matches and three non-'A' international matches. He also participated in the 2022 World Cup qualifiers and 2023 Asia Cup qualifiers.
3.2.3. Representative Matches (Malaysia XI)
Aidil Zafuan also represented the Malaysia XI squad in special matches against various international club teams. He played against Chelsea at the Shah Alam Stadium on 29 July 2008, where Malaysia XI lost 0-2. Despite the loss, Chelsea coach Luiz Felipe Scolari praised Malaysia XI for their strong performance. He also featured in matches against Manchester United in 2009, where Malaysia XI lost 3-2 and 2-0, and against Barcelona in 2013, which saw Malaysia XI lose 1-3.
4. Managerial Career
Following his retirement as a professional player at the conclusion of the 2023 Malaysia Super League season, Mohamad Aidil Zafuan transitioned into a coaching role. He was appointed as an assistant coach at Johor Darul Ta'zim, working under head coach Héctor Bidoglio.
5. Statistics
Mohamad Aidil Zafuan's professional career statistics reflect his longevity and consistency as a key defender.
5.1. Club Statistics
| Club | Season | League | Cup | League Cup | Continental | Other | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Negeri Sembilan | 2005-06 | Malaysia Super League | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | - | 1 | 0 | ||
| 2006-07 | Malaysia Super League | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | - | 6 | 0 | ||
| 2007-08 | Malaysia Super League | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | - | 4 | 0 | |||
| 2009 | Malaysia Super League | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | - | - | 4 | 1 | |||
| 2010 | Malaysia Super League | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | - | 1 | 0 | |||
| 2011 | Malaysia Super League | 23 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | - | - | 28 | 1 | |||
| Total | 23 | 1 | 11 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 5 | 0 | - | 43 | 3 | |||
| ATM | 2012 | Malaysia Premier League | 21 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 11 | 1 | - | - | 33 | 4 | ||
| Total | 21 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 11 | 1 | - | - | 33 | 4 | ||||
| Johor Darul Ta'zim | 2013 | Malaysia Super League | 15 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 8 | 0 | - | - | 28 | 2 | ||
| 2014 | Malaysia Super League | 9 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 9 | 0 | - | - | 20 | 0 | |||
| 2015 | Malaysia Super League | 15 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 5 | 0 | - | 26 | 1 | ||
| 2016 | Malaysia Super League | 16 | 1 | 7 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 10 | 1 | - | 35 | 2 | ||
| 2017 | Malaysia Super League | 12 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 5 | 0 | - | 22 | 1 | ||
| 2018 | Malaysia Super League | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 5 | 0 | - | 23 | 0 | ||
| 2019 | Malaysia Super League | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 4 | 0 | - | 26 | 0 | ||
| 2020 | Malaysia Super League | 8 | 1 | - | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | - | 10 | 1 | |||
| 2021 | Malaysia Super League | 9 | 0 | - | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | - | 10 | 0 | |||
| 2022 | Malaysia Super League | 5 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | - | 10 | 0 | ||
| 2023 | Malaysia Super League | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | 1 | 0 | ||
| Total | 114 | 4 | 16 | 1 | 49 | 1 | 32 | 1 | - | 211 | 7 | |||
| Career total | 158 | 8 | 28 | 2 | 64 | 3 | 37 | 1 | - | 287 | 14 | |||
5.2. International Statistics
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Malaysia | 2007 | 6 | 1 |
| 2008 | 11 | 0 | |
| 2009 | 8 | 0 | |
| 2010 | 3 | 0 | |
| 2011 | 8 | 2 | |
| 2012 | 14 | 0 | |
| 2013 | 7 | 0 | |
| 2014 | 5 | 0 | |
| 2015 | 4 | 0 | |
| 2016 | 5 | 0 | |
| 2017 | 3 | 0 | |
| 2018 | 8 | 0 | |
| 2019 | 5 | 0 | |
| 2021 | 9 | 0 | |
| 2022 | 2 | 0 | |
| Total | 98 | 3 | |
5.3. International Goals
| # | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | 18 July 2007 | Shah Alam Stadium, Shah Alam, Malaysia | Cambodia | 6-0 | Won | Friendly |
| 2. | 29 June 2011 | National Stadium, Bukit Jalil, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia | Chinese Taipei | 2-1 | Won | 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification (AFC) |
| 3. | 3 July 2011 | Taipei Municipal Stadium, Taipei, Taiwan | Chinese Taipei | 2-3 | Lost | 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification (AFC) |
6. Honours and Achievements
Mohamad Aidil Zafuan's career was marked by numerous team and individual accolades, reflecting his significant impact on Malaysian football.
6.1. Club Honours
- Negeri Sembilan FA
- Sukma Games Gold Medal: 2004
- Malaysia Super League: 2005-06
- Malaysia Cup: 2009, 2011
- Malaysia FA Cup: 2010
- Malaysian Armed Forces (ATM FA)
- Malaysia Premier League: 2012
- Johor Darul Ta'zim F.C.
- AFC Cup: 2015
- Malaysia Super League: 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023
- Malaysia FA Cup: 2016, 2022, 2023
- Malaysia Cup: 2017, 2019, 2022, 2023
- Malaysian Charity Shield: 2015, 2016, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023
6.2. International Honours
- Malaysia U-18
- Lion City Cup: 2005
- Malaysia U-23
- Pestabola Merdeka: 2007; Runner-up: 2008
- SEA Games: 2009
- Malaysia
- AFF Championship Runner-up: 2018
6.3. Individual Awards
- Malaysia Super League 'Best Defender Award': 2009, 2010, 2012, 2015, 2020
- AFC Cup All-Time XI: 2021