Early era

The club was established in 1923, according to a passage in the football history books of Malaysia based on an interview with Austin Senevirathe, who was 93 years old when interviewed.^[3] He stated that the Malaya Cup match between Negeri Sembilan and Singapore took place in that particular year.^[3]

In 1927, PBNS started organising league matches. Among the trophies that were up for grabs at that time were the Annex Shield, the British Resident's Cup, and the Hose Cup. The earliest football clubs that existed and competed in the league were Negri Sembilan Chinese "A," Negri Sembilan Club, Port Dickson Recreation Club, Sungei Ujong Club, Negri Sembilan Chinese "B," and St. Paul's Old Boys Association.^[4]

The club is considered one of the top competing teams in the history of football since its establishment. They have won many top competitions in Malaysia, starting in the early 1940s.

In 1948, they won the first HMS Malaya Cup,^[5] led by skipper Kwan Soon Teck .^[6]

Isa Samad era (1982-2004)

In 1982, Tan Sri Dato' Seri Utama Mohd Isa bin Dato' Haji Abdul Samad was appointed president of the Negeri Sembilan Football Association (PBNS) as well as the Menteri Besar of Negeri Sembilan.

The year 1991 was the year of the revival of the Negeri Sembilan team, which in previous years had been an underdog. That was also the last year the Negeri Sembilan team used the Majlis Perbandaran Seremban Stadium before the Tuanku Abdul Rahman Stadium in Paroi was used as their home ground until now. On August 18, 1991, the team met Sarawak in the final match of the Division 2 League at the Majlis Perbandaran Seremban Stadium. Negeri Sembilan, who was in first place at the time, only needed a draw while Sarawak, who was in second place, needed a win to get the top spot in the league table. The match of that day went to Negeri Sembilan with a result of 2-2, and they managed to collect one point. It was the last year that led to the success of winning the Semi-Pro League Division 2, then qualifying for Division 1 in 1992. Among the star players at that time were the import trio, the Bozik Brothers (Miroslav and Robert), and the powerful striker Marian Vazquez. Local players include Richard Scully, Mansor Sulaiman, and Nazari Hussein.^[7]

In 1992, the construction of Tuanku Abdul Rahman Stadium was completed and inaugurated to be used as a multipurpose stadium. The stadium initially held a capacity of 20,000 people, and since then, the Negeri Sembilan team has officially made the stadium their home ground for the Liga Semi-Pro Divisyen 1 tournament in that year.^[8]

In the 1996 season, Negeri Sembilan became one of the contenders for the league title. Even though it was not given much attention at first, the team starring two former import players from Argentina, Pahang FA's Gus Cerro and Jose Iriarte, surprised many when they gave great competition to other selected teams such as Selangor, Sabah, Sarawak, Kedah, Pahang, and Brunei. Othman Katmon, Faizal Zainal, Khairil Zainal, Rosli Omar, B. Rajinikandh (now converted to Islam), A. Ganeson, V. Arumugham, Idris Kadir, Azmi Mohamed, and Ching Hong Aik (only a few mentions) have put up a good fight, giving great hope to their loyal supporters. However, this squad failed to maintain the momentum when it was finally overtaken by Sabah FA, who emerged as the Premier League champion, as well as Kedah FA, who became the runner-up.^[9]

On May 31, 2003, Negeri Sembilan met Perlis in the FA Cup final. Played at Perak Stadium, the club was surprised by the opponent's early goal in the 11th minute. The club managed to close the gap in the 56th minute thanks to a goal by Effendi Malek. The game remained 1-1 until the 90th minute, and in extra time, victory was decided on a golden goal. In the 95th minute, the club managed to get the golden goal as a result of Everson Martinelli's goal, and the club was crowned FA Cup champion in 2003.^[10]

Negeri Sembilan made its first appearance in the AFC Cup competition in the 2004 season. The club made its debut in the first match against Island FC with a big 6-0 win on February 10, 2004. However, the club had to settle for being 3rd in the group after losing all the group stage matches against Geylang United, East Bengal, and Island FC. All teams played at home and away for a total of six games.^[11]

Mohamad Hasan era (2004 – 2018)

In March 2004, Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan was appointed as the president of the Negeri Sembilan Football Association (PBNS). It's because he successfully held the position as the 10th Menteri Besar of Negeri Sembilan and replaced Isa Samad, who held that position the previous year. Mohamad Hasan was the first Menteri Besar who had ever been a local football player and then became the president of PBNS. He never represented the first team of Negeri Sembilan but played a lot with clubs in Kuala Lumpur and Selangor.^[12] He was banned from football for life after receiving a red card when NS Malays played against NS Indians in 1977. He was active in football in the 1970s.^[13]

In the 2006 season, the team won the Malaysia Super League by finishing first out of eight clubs that competed. The newly promoted team from the Malaysian Premier League in the 2005 season managed to become the league champion in their first appearance since the Super League was introduced in 2004.^[14]

On November 7, 2009, the team ended their 61-year drought in the Malaysia Cup after posting a convincing 3–1 victory over Kelantan in the final at the National Stadium, Bukit Jalil. The team also won all the matches in the Malaysia Cup tournament, starting from the group stage until the final. That final match was a fantastic night.^[15]

The repeat final of 2009 between the club and Kelantan happened again on October 30, 2010. However, this time, the club lost 1–2 to Kelantan despite having taken an early lead through a penalty by Shahurain Abu Samah.^[16]

On April 10, 2010, Negeri Sembilan needed the luck of the penalty shootout to win the FA Cup championship again by beating Kedah 5-4 in the final of the 21st edition at the National Stadium, Bukit Jalil. This continues to confirm them as the new powerhouse of national football after winning the Malaysia Cup last season. Both teams were tied at 1-1 after the end of the 90 minutes of the actual game, even after the referee, R. Krishnan, dragged it into extra time in front of about 70,000 spectators, the majority of whom were "Hijau Kuning" supporters.^[17]

In 2011, the club again qualified for the Malaysia Cup Final for the third time in a row, this time with their new coach, Mohd Azraai Khor Abdullah. They won the trophy after defeating Terengganu FA with an epic comeback. The first goal was scored by Mohd Ashaari Shamsuddin for Terengganu in the 59th minute. PBNS used the last 10 minutes of the game to make a comeback. S. Kunanlan equalised the score in the 81st minute before Hairuddin Omar, the veteran striker, hit the winning goal for PBNS with a beautiful volley in the 85th minute.^[18]

In the early part of the 2011 season, one of the team's all-time best coaches, Wan Jamak Wan Hassan, resigned from the club. He sees no excuses for the team's disappointing run in the Malaysia Super League and Malaysia FA Cup competitions for that season.^[19]

Throughout the years 2003–2011, there was a "golden generation" for the Negeri Sembilan team because, throughout the year, the team achieved a lot of success in competitions at the domestic level. Starting with winning the FA Cup in 2003, the team managed to win the Super League in 2006. The most proud performance was when Negeri Sembilan successfully made it through the Malaysia Cup final stage three years in a row from 2009–2011. The team won two finals in 2009 and 2011, and in 2010, the team became runners-up when they had to accept a defeat, but they managed to win the FA Cup in the same year (2010). In addition, this golden era also saw the emergence of several big names who were with the Negeri Sembilan team in the Malaysian football scene, including Ching Hong Aik,^[20] Shukor Adan,^[21] Norhafiz Zamani,^[22] Khairul Anuar Baharom,^[23] Bekamenga Bekamengo,^[24] Sani Anuar,^[25] Rezal Zambery,^[26] Zaquan Adha,^[27] Aidil Zafuan,^[28] Farizal Marlias,^[29] S. Kunanlan^[30] and Shahurain.^[31][32]

On December 6, 2014, the president of the Negeri Sembilan Football Association announced that the Negeri Sembilan team would be known as the Negeri Sembilan Matrix from the 2015 season. This has become the beginning of the process of privatising the Negeri Sembilan.^[33]

On June 7, 2018, the Negeri Sembilan Football Association (PBNS) lost an experienced figure when Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan resigned as president of the association. Also followed Mohamad's footsteps were two vice presidents, Datuk Mohamad Haslah Mohd Amin, who was also the PBNS Chief Finance Officer and manager of the Negeri Sembilan Super League team, and lastly, Datuk Abd Ghani Hasan .^[34]

Razman al-Qadri era (2018 – present)

On September 10, 2018, Tunku Besar of Tampin, Tunku Syed Razman Tunku Syed Idrus Al-Qadri, was elected as the new President of the Negeri Sembilan Football Association (PBNS) for the period of 2018–2021 after winning unopposed at the 86th PBNS Congress, held at Klana Resort.^[35]

On October 20, 2020, the club officially made its privatisation under a new entity as Negeri Sembilan Football Club after it was officially approved by the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM). ^[36] The club has been registered under a private limited company named Negeri Sembilan Football Club Sdn. Bhd. (Negeri Sembilan Football Club Pvt. Ltd.). The club became a subsidiary of the Negeri Sembilan Football Association (PBNS), which is also the owner of the club.^{[37] [36]}

Current squad

As of 1 August 2023^[39]

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player 1 GK  MAS Tauffiq Ar Rasyid Johar 2 DF  MAS Che Rashid Che Halim 3 MF  MAS Tommy Mawat Bada 4 DF  MAS Farid Nezal 5 DF  MAS Annas Rahmat 6 DF  MAS Aroon Kumar 7 FW  MAS Sean Selvaraj 8 FW  MAS Zaquan Adha (captain) 9 DF  FRA Herold GoulonI 12 MF  MAS Barathkumar Ramaloo 13 DF  MAS Zainal Abidin Jamil 15 DF  MAS Hariz Kamarudin 16 MF  MAS Selvan AnbualaganU23 17 DF  MAS Nasrullah Haniff (Vice-captain) 18 FW  MAS Mahalli Jasuli

No. Pos. Nation Player 23 GK  MAS Sikh Izhan NazrelU23 (on loan from Selangor) 24 MF  MAS Saiful Ridzuwan 27 MF  MAS Fahmi Faizal 29 GK  MAS Muhaimin Mohamad 30 DF  MAS Zamri Pin Ramli 31 GK  MAS Firdaus IrmanU23 32 FW  MAS Shahrel Fikri 33 MF  MAS Hafiz Ramdan 35 MF  MAS Hasbullah Abu Bakar 44 MF  MAS Afiq FitriU23 67 MF  MAS Amirul Hakimi RosliU23 88 MF  MAS Izzuddin Roslan 97 MF  MAS Filemon Anyie 99 FW  BRA CasagrandeI — FW  GHA Jordan MintahI — DF  GHA Richmond AnkrahI — MF  UZB Sanjar ShaakhmedovA — MF  PLE Mohammed RashidA — FW  IDN Bagus KahfiS (on loan from Barito Putera) — DF  IDN Bagas KaffaS (on loan from Barito Putera) — DF  SGP Shakir HamzahS

Remarks:
^I International player. ^A Asian player. ^S ASEAN player. ^U23 Under-23 player. ^U20 Under-20 player. ^U18 Under-18 player.

Out on loan

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player 12 GK  MAS Kaharuddin Rahman (to KSR SAINS) 19 FW  MAS Javabilaarivin Nyanasegar (to Immigration) 21 GK  MAS T. Shaheeswaran (to Perak)

U-23 Squad

Currently plays in the MFL Cup tournament. This reserve league dedicated to players under the age of 23. The MFL has also allowed a quota of 5 over-age players, including 3 foreign players in each team with only 2 players allowed to play for each match.^[40]

As of 12 August 2023^[41]

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player 2 DF  MAS Mohamad Mizan MustafaU23 3 DF  MAS Muhamad Haziq IdrisU23 4 DF  MAS Muhammad Harith SamsuriU23 5 DF  MAS Muhammad Fisal SuaidiU23 6 DF  MAS Dalan RajendranU23 7 DF  MAS Mohamad Diniy Danial Mohd EffendiU23 9 FW  MAS Muhammad Syakimi KarimU23 11 DF  MAS Vimal Nair SuguU23 13 FW  MAS Mohamad Akif Afizi RamziU20 14 DF  MAS Mohamad Faizul BaharudinU20 15 MF  MAS Ariff AbdullahU20 16 MF  MAS Selvan AnbualaganU23 (Senior squad)

No. Pos. Nation Player 17 FW  MAS Muhammad Fawwaz Muqrish RosliU20 20 MF  MAS Muhammad Adel Wajdi Abdrul RazakU23 21 FW  MAS Devekumaran MuniswaranU23 22 FW  MAS Muhammad Za'im Hakim ZakariaU23 23 GK  MAS Sikh Izhan NazrelU23 (Senior squad) 31 GK  MAS Firdaus IrmanU23 (Senior squad) 32 GK  MAS Tauffiq Ar Rasyid Johar (Senior squad) 34 DF  MAS Hariz Kamarudin (Senior squad) 38 DF  MAS Farid Nezal (Senior squad) 44 MF  MAS Afiq FitriU23 (Senior squad) 67 MF  MAS Amirul Hakimi RosliU23 (Senior squad) 88 MF  MAS Izzuddin Roslan (Senior squad)

Remarks:
^I International player. ^A Asian player. ^S ASEAN player. ^U23 Under-23 player. ^U20 Under-20 player. ^U18 Under-18 player.

Out on loan

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player 1 GK  MAS Khairul Fahmi Jamariza (to PIB FC) 8 MF  MAS Mohamad Norazizi Mohd Khalid (to SAINS) 12 DF  MAS Muhammad Kama Edyka Azhar (to Bunga Raya FC) 24 MF  MAS Muhammad Rusydan Wahid Anuar (to SAINS) 27 DF  MAS Muhammad Ilham Syukri Jamalluddin (to Bunga Raya FC)

U-20 Squad

Currently plays in the President Cup tournament.

As of 16 March 2023^[42]

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player 1 GK  MAS Silmi Bin Othman 3 DF  MAS Muhammad Shahrul Adhha Bin Azhar 4 DF  MAS Hezri Sham Bin Asnorhadi 5 DF  MAS Muhammad Firdaus Bin Mohd Ya’akub 6 DF  MAS Muhammad Farhan Bin Md Zaidi 7 FW  MAS Abdul Mubin Bin Ab Wahab 8 MF  MAS Muhammad Haiqal Danish Bin Khairul Nizam 9 FW  MAS Ahmad Fariz Bin Ahmad Ghazali 10 FW  MAS Muhammad Danish Syamer Bin Tajuddin 11 FW  MAS Kumar a/l R. Chandran 12 MF  MAS Aliff Danial Bin Mohd Sarazin 13 FW  MAS Muhammad Hakimy Bin Mohd Khairol 15 DF  MAS Muhammad Kholil Bin Ahmad Azian

No. Pos. Nation Player 16 MF  MAS Kartikeyan a/l T. M. Valluvan 17 FW  MAS Muhamad Afifin Arfa Bin Fakhri 18 MF  MAS Abdul Rafiq Bin Abdul Rahim 19 FW  MAS Muhammad Shahrul Hakimi Bin Zulkifli 21 MF  MAS Muhammad Zaim Iqbal Bin Zulkarnain 22 GK  MAS Aif Danish Bin Saifudin 23 DF  MAS Harish a/l Thigarajah 24 DF  MAS Muhammad Nur Hakim Bin Mohd Nahar 25 GK  MAS Mifdhal Aufa Bin Mohd Faizal 27 DF  MAS Mohamad Ashraf Iqwan Bin Anuar 28 DF  MAS Muhammad Amirul Farhan Bin Asmadi 30 MF  MAS Syed Jaafar Muzakir Bin Syed Muhamad Ali

Negeri Sembilan Football Association

As of 1 February 2023

Position	Name
President	YTM Tunku Syed Razman Bin Tunku Syed 'Idrus al-Qadri
Deputy president	YB Dato' Dr. Razali Bin Ab Malik
Vice presidents	YB Dato' Hj. Mohamad Taufek Bin Abd Ghani
	YBHG Dato' Masri Bin Razali
	Saaran Nadarajah
Honorary secretary	Tuan Haji Abdul Malek Haji Hassan
Executive secretary	Muhammad Faliq Bin Firdaus Muhammad Rom
Treasurer	Michael Ong Teik Loon
Executive committee members	Tuan Hj. Hamdan Bin Hj. Othman
	Kalidasan a/l Sinuam@Sinniah
	Jamsari Bin Mohamad
	Kamarudin Bin Ibrahim
	Tuan Hj. Bachik Bin Osman
	Lai Hein Sip
	Dana Palan a/l V.K. Karuniam
	Tuan Hj. Azmi Bin Hj. Selamat

Source:

Negeri Sembilan Football Club

As of 1 February 2023

Position	Staff
Chief executive officer	Satwant Singh
Chief operating officer	Firdaus Bahri
Technical director	Ishak Kunju Mohamad
Manager	Devan E. Kuppusamy
Head coach
Assistant head coach	Nantha Kumar Kalliappan
Assistant coach	Ahmad Osman
Goalkeeper coach	Megat Amir Faisal
Fitness coach	Nor Ikhmar Madarsa
Team doctor	Dr. Rozaiman Ebrahim
	Dr. Zakwan Ahmad
Physiotherapist	Fakhrusy Syakirin Bin Yaacob
Team admin	Muhammad Adib Fikri Lukman
Media Officer	Muhammad Suffi Zharith Sahar
Team security	Anuar Abd Rahman
Team analyst	Muhammad Aiman Danial Mat Aris
Masseur	Mohd Khalid bin Mohamed Sain
	Zahari Mazlan
Kitman	Muhamad Firdaus Kamaruzli
	Sharizal Mat Shah

Source:^[44]

NSFC U-23

As of 3 March 2023

Position	Staff
Head coach	Mohammad Ishak Kunju Mohamad
Assistant head coach	Poobathy Dhetchan
Goalkeeper coach	Mohd Effendy Kamsah
Fitness coach	Norman Baharom
Team doctor	Muhammad Aliff Abdul Razak
Physiotherapist	Mohamad Syaiful Sabtu
Team coordinator	Mohamad Yusof Amdan
Media officer	Muhammad Harith Haziq Yahaya
Team analyst	Mohd Hafas Abdullah
Kitman	Jefri Jaafar

Source:^[45]

NSFC U-20

As of 16 March 2023

Position	Staff
Head coach	Azlan Bin Ahmad
Assistant head coach	Hamdan Bin Mohamad
Goalkeeper coach	Ahmad Hassan Bin Malik
Fitness coach	Amirulnizar Bin Zulkefli
Physiotherapist	Ahmad Faisal Bin Miswan
Kitman	Mahathir Bin Mustapa

Source:^[46]

Crest

Negeri Sembilan previously used the crest of the Negeri Sembilan Football Association (PBNS). After being privatised in 2020, the Negeri Sembilan FC team started using the new crest after PBNS organised a competition to create a logo for Negeri Sembilan FC. The competition was won by the logo designed by Azral Ramlay, which has been used by the team since 2020.^[53]

Rice Stalks: The main crest displays nine white rice stalks tied with red rope into one in the middle, symbolising the nine states in the old Negeri Sembilan: ^[54] Jelai, Jelebu, Johol, Kelang (now part of Selangor), Naning (now part of Malacca), Rembau, Segamat-Pasir Besar, Sungei Ujong, and Ulu Pahang. This logo also maintains the use of rice stalks as in the logo of the Negeri Sembilan Football Association (PBNS), which was established in 1923, but improvises by tying all the rice stalks into a symbol of unity. Moreover, it is designed to resemble the crest on the state's coat of arms, which is the Changgai Puteri fronted by a sword and scabbard.

Circle: The basic shape, which is a golden yellow circle in the royal color, symbolises the strong unity between the team, players, supporters, and the people of Negeri Sembilan who are together within the Negeri Sembilan Traditional Land under the auspices of D.Y.M.M. Yang Di-Pertuan Besar Negeri Sembilan Darul Khusus.

Escutcheon: The escutcheon of the arms is depicted as an Old French shield outlined in black. The three basic colours of Negeri Sembilan on the shield symbolise all the people, players, and supporters coming together to protect and defend their beloved team from being damaged by the enemy, along with the lyrics of the Negeri Sembilan song, "Musuhnya Habis Binasa" (English: "His enemies perished").

Colours

Yellow, black and red: Negeri Sembilan uses three colours from the state flag of Negeri Sembilan as its official colours. The colours have been used on the crest and team kits since its establishment. Based on the flag, the yellow represents the Yang di-Pertuan Besar of Negeri Sembilan, the black symbolises the four undangs (traditional chiefs), and the red denotes the citizens of the state. However, in the context of the football team, these three colours have their own meaning: yellow represents the team, black symbolises the players, and red denotes the supporters. ^[55]

Kits: Mostly, the team uses red as the dominant colour for the home kit with the addition of some yellow and black colors, while for the away kit, the dominant colour is yellow with the addition of some red and black colors. Sometimes the team reverses yellow as the home kit colour and red as the away kit colour; this depends on the agreement between the team and the kit manufacturer as well as the conditions of the competing league's management. As for the team's third kit, there are several dominant colour variations, such as white, blue, and black.

Domestic competitions

Asian

• AFC Cup

Group Stage: 2004, 2007

Withdrew: 2010

MSL Golden boot winners

Season	Player	Goals
2012	Jean-Emmanuel Effa Owona	15

MPL Golden boot winners

Season	Player	Goals
2015	Francis Doe	17

Best Goalkeeper Award

Season	Player	CS
2022	Syihan Hazmi	7

Best Defender Award

Season	Player
2005-06	Khairul Anuar Baharom
2009	Aidil Zafuan
2010	Aidil Zafuan
2011	Norhafiz Zamani Misbah

Best Foreign Player

Season	Player
2005-06	Christian Bekamenga

Best Young Player

Season	Player
2006-07	Mohd Zaquan Adha Abdul Radzak

Club's top goalscorers

Season	League		All competition
	Player	Goals	Player	Goals
2004	Shahrin Abdul Majid	11	Efendi Abdul Malek	12
2005	Christian Bekamenga	16	Christian Bekamenga	21
2005–06	Christian Bekamenga	8	Christian Bekamenga	19
2006–07	Frederico Dos Santos	9	Frederico Dos Santos	13
2007–08	Zaquan Adha	11	Zaquan Adha	14
2009	Zaquan Adha	11	Zaquan Adha	23
2010	Zaquan Adha	8	Zaquan Adha	14
2011	Mohd Firdaus Azizul	7	Hairuddin Omar	11
2012	Jean-Emmanuel Effa Owona	15	Jean-Emmanuel Effa Owona	23
2013	Shahurain Abu Samah	2	Fábio Leandro Barbosa	6
	Rashid Mahmud
	Nazrin Nawi
2014	Kim Jin-yong	8	Kim Jin-yong	8
2015	Francis Doe	17	Francis Doe	19
2016	Andrew Nabbout	8	Andrew Nabbout	9
2017	Bruno Suzuki	11	Bruno Suzuki	13
2018	Nicolás Vélez	8	Flávio Júnior	10
	Flávio Júnior
2019	José Almir Barros Neto	8	Igor Luiz	12
2020	Igor Luiz	5	Igor Luiz	5
2021	Alain Akono	9	Alain Akono	9
2022	Gustavo	11	Gustavo	11