Toss-up between two remain for assistant head coach job: FAM president

SEPANG − The riddle of who will be assistant national head coach for the Harimau Malaya squad has almost reached its climax as the toss-up is left between two names.

Without revealing the identity of the candidates, Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) president Datuk Hamidin Mohd Amin said the list was whittled down by FAM technical director Scott O’Donell after interviewing more than six candidates recently.

He said new national head coach Kim Pan-gon of South Korea would make the final decision on the appointment.

“I leave this to the technical director and the selection panel. They have interviewed over six people and have left the list to the new head coach to choose.

“So, we are just waiting for Kim (Pan-gon) to arrive... he will then interview the candidates again and make a decision,” he told a press conference after the official launch of an Airbus A330-300 with Harimau Malaya livery at the Malaysia Airlines Berhad Engineering Complex here today. 

Bernama previously reported that O’Donell was looking at ten candidates, including a coach with a “big name”, in response to Pan-gon’s request to hire a local coach as assistant.

Among the names linked to the post were former Melaka United coach Zainal Abidin Hassan, Sarawak United coach E. Elavarasan, Terengganu FC coach Mohd Nafuzi Mohd Zain and Selangor FC assistant coach Mohd Nidzam Jamil.

Among those who submitted applications to be Pan-gon’s assistant was experienced coach Mohd Azraai Khor Abdullah, who guided Kedah to the Super League, FA Cup and Malaysia Cup titles in 2007 and 2008.

“As for the benchmark (to be assistant head coach), he must have a Pro A coaching licence and as to the question of “big name” or not, the two candidates must have loads of experience. The technical director also left comments on why the names are shortlisted,” said Hamidin.

The first task awaiting Pan-gon and his coaching staff, who are expected to arrive in mid-February, will be to monitor the performances of players in the 2022 Malaysia League (M-League) that is set to begin later this month before conducting the national squad’s first centralised training camp in March.

Pan-gon will then guide the national squad in the third round of the 2023 Asian Cup qualifiers in June in a bid to end Malaysia’s 40-year plus wait to qualify on merit for the Finals. – Bernama, February 8, 2022