KUALA LUMPUR – Former national coach Tan Cheng Hoe hopes to come back to Malaysian football and work with Selangor FC again when the time comes.
Speaking to Scoop, Cheng Hoe said that he will definitely work with Selangor FC again in the future and added that he’s going to miss working with his former team, after leaving for Thailand to take up his new coaching role with Police Tero FC.
Nidzam Jamil, formerly the assistant head coach under Cheng Hoe, has been appointed as interim head coach until a permanent replacement is secured.
“I’m going to miss Selangor, and I’m sad that I won’t be able to coach my boys and also work with the signings that I have made. But this is football, and I need to move on. This kind of situation has also happened to many top coaches around the world.
“I don’t want to put anyone under pressure, but it’s up to the management to choose who they want as my successor. I have known Nidzam for a long time, and I have the confidence that he will give his 100% in his role. He has the passion and attitude to strive as a coach, and he will do his best.
“If I receive a call, who knows, one day I will definitely make a comeback to coach Selangor or any clubs in Malaysia,” Cheng Hoe added.
Selangor FC’s participation in this season’s AFC Champions League 2 marked the Red Giant’s return to elite Asian football competition since their 2016 AFC Cup outing, where they failed to advance beyond the group stage.
The AFC Champions League 2 offers a prize of US$8 million (RM37.74 million) for the champions and US$4 million (RM18.8 million) for the runners-up.
The tournament will feature 32 teams divided into eight groups, followed by knockout rounds leading to the final.
The Red Giants have been on a player-purchasing spree with the signings of Nooa Laine (national player), Umarbek Eshmurodov (Uzbekistan), Ronnie Fernandez (Chile), and Azim Al Amin (national U-23 player), with transfer market values estimated between RM500,000 to RM800,000, according to www.transfermarkt.com. – March 3, 2024