.png)
KUALA LUMPUR – Harimau Malaya interim head coach Tan Cheng Hoe is leaving his future in the hands of the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM), with his immediate focus firmly on making an impact in the inaugural FIFA Asean Cup 2026.
Tan said his priority was to get the best out of his squad and rebuild supporters’ confidence during the tournament, which kicks off in Indonesia on Friday and runs until Oct 5.
“I leave it to the management or FAM because my responsibility is for the FIFA Asean Cup. Of course, every coach wants to do their best.
“At the same time, I’m very happy with the squad we have, and I believe the players will give their best. Most importantly, we want to regain the confidence of the fans and build for the future,” he told reporters recently.
Cheng Hoe said he preferred not to dwell on his position beyond the tournament, instead urging his players to remain focused on the task at hand.
On Malaysia’s target, Cheng Hoe said winning would naturally be every coach’s ambition, but Harimau Malaya must first navigate their opening Group A encounter against Bangladesh before turning their attention to hosts Indonesia and Singapore.
He acknowledged that the clash against Indonesia would be a major test, particularly with Malaysia playing in front of a passionate home crowd, but said his experience of coaching in Indonesia in 2010 would help him prepare the players for the occasion.
“I have the experience from 2010 and I told the players that what is important is to focus on the game and the match. In terms of security, there will be security arrangements there.
“I think we should not worry too much about the capacity crowd or the passionate supporters. We need to focus on the match and remain calm throughout every moment and every game there,” he said.
Malaysia, ranked 136th in the world, will open their campaign against 181st-ranked Bangladesh at the Gelora Bung Karno Stadium in Jakarta on Friday before facing Indonesia on Sept 28 and Singapore on Oct 1.
The inaugural FIFA Asean Cup features two groups, with Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore and Bangladesh in Group A, while Vietnam, Thailand, the Philippines and Pakistan make up Group B.
The group winners will meet in the final at the Gelora Bung Karno on Oct 5, while the runners-up will contest the third-place playoff at the same venue earlier that day. –BERNAMA
