JDT's Muhammad Norakmal bin Norizal, Settling into Life Well at His New Club

When Johor Darul Ta'zim announced the signing of Muhammad Norakmal bin Norizal in February 2026, Pahang Rangers paid tribute to a player they described as a product of their development programme. It was a generous farewell, and an accurate one. But it also told the story of a player who, at just 23 years old, had already outgrown what Pahang could offer and was ready for the demands of a two-time league champion.

Norakmal's route to the top of Malaysian futsal has been rapid. He first came to Pahang Rangers' attention in 2024 when he arrived for SUKMA Pahang selection and immediately impressed enough to be absorbed into the first-team squad. Within a season he had become one of their most important players, contributing seven goals in 2025, five in the MPFL Division 1 and two in cup competitions, including a goal in the Malaysia Futsal Cup semi-final victory over JDT. That performance against the club he would sign for a few months later was not lost on Joao Almeida's recruitment team.

The international stage came just as quickly. Norakmal received his first national team call-up in September 2025 and went on to be part of the Malaysia squad that won bronze at the SEA Games in Nonthaburi, Thailand in December 2025, the country's best futsal result at the Games for several years. He was then named in the final 14-man squad for the AFC Futsal Asian Cup 2026 in Jakarta in January, called up as a replacement after Syahir Iqbal Khan suffered an ACL injury. It was a significant moment, a first Asian Cup appearance, and further confirmation that the national coaching staff regard Norakmal as part of the core of the squad going forward.

The 2026 MPFL season has been his introduction to life at the defending champions, and he has taken to it steadily. Four goals in seven matches, including a brace in the 8-3 win over ATM in Circuit 4 matchday two that was one of JDT's most emphatic performances of the campaign, show a player growing in confidence. He operates primarily as a winger, with the directness and finishing instincts that have defined his career from the moment Pahang spotted him.

At 23, Norakmal is still early in what his record suggests will be a considerable career. JDT have invested in him for the long term, and the combination of first-team experience at the highest domestic level and regular international exposure puts him on a development curve that could yet see him become one of the defining Malaysian futsal players of his generation.