KUALA LUMPUR – “I need to make way for someone who is better suited to take the national team to a higher level.”
That’s the explanation given by Tan Cheng Hoe following his decision to resign as Harimau Malaya head coach, a position he had held for four years since being appointed in December 2017.
Cheng Hoe admitted that while it was a difficult decision to make, it was the right one as he took full responsibility for the team’s failure in the recently-concluded ASEAN Football Federation (AFF) Cup 2020 in Singapore.
“I know that FAM (Football Association of Malaysia) set us a target of qualifying for the AFF Cup final and I did not meet it, so that’s why I am stepping down.
“I definitely took a long time to think it over. I thought long-term about my career and also considered my reputation as a coach. Perhaps, there is someone else who can do a better job than me,” said the 53-year-old when contacted by Bernama today.
He also denied that his decision was influenced by calls from various parties for him to resign following the team’s failure in Singapore.
Asked what were his best memories throughout his time with the national team, Cheng Hoe described the period from 2018 to 2019 as the highlights of his career as that was when the Harimau Malaya managed to qualify for the final of the AFF Cup 2018.
“… and in 2019, we achieved back-to-back wins over Thailand and Indonesia in the 2022 World Cup/2023 Asian Cup Qualifiers; and the team’s performance also reached a very good level,” he said.
Cheng Hoe said that for now he hoped to just rest and spend time with his family before considering a return to coaching.
“So far, there is no offer and, for now, I just want to relax and focus on my family… because of football, I have neglected my family for a long time,” said the Kedah-born Cheng Hoe.
Earlier, FAM had issued a statement announcing that Cheng Hoe, who had a contract with the national team until the end of 2022, had decided to step down following the Harimau Malaya’s failure to advance to the semi-finals of the AFF Cup 2020 last month.
In the AFF Cup 2020, Malaysia, who were runners-up in 2018, failed to qualify for the knockout stages after finishing third in Group B behind Indonesia and defending champions Vietnam.
The national squad, who had a short preparation time, began their campaign in style by beating Cambodia 3-1 and thrashing Laos 4-0. However, they then fell 3-0 to Vietnam and 4-1 to Indonesia.
Many then blamed Cheng Hoe, saying Malaysian football had reached the abyss under him.
However, he deserves credit for being the individual responsible for breathing new life into Malaysian football after taking over from Portuguese Nelo Vingada.
Cheng Hoe even managed to improve the national team’s world ranking from their lowest-ever 178th spot to 153rd since taking over as head coach.
The national team’s best achievement under Cheng Hoe came in the 2019 season when they recorded nine wins from 13 outings, including defeating four higher-ranked teams in Tier 1 international friendlies.
“It’s not an easy job handling the national team but I am confident that whoever takes over will be able to breathe new life into the side,” said Cheng Hoe. – Bernama, January 3, 2022
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