IMMINENT FOOTBALL TSUNAMI?

CHENG HOE TO GET SUPPORT?

By Tony Mariadass

NATIONAL football team Harimau assistant coaches could follow suit national coach Tan Cheng Hoe to resign in support of the latter’s move.

The assistant coaches at the recent Suzuki AFF football tournament in Singapore were S. Balachandran, Azmin Azram Abdul Aziz (goalkeeper coach) and Martin Stano (fitness coach).

Whether all three coaches will be resigning or one or two of them, is not known, but there is strong indication the two local coaches will resign in the next few days.

If this happens, it will not give FA of Malaysia the liberty to ‘sack’ the assistant coaches or the new incoming national coach the choice to exclude them in his lineup.

FAM of Malaysia deputy president Datuk Yusof Mahadi who is also the national team manager, had recently, said the investigation body led by former national player and FAM general secretary Datuk Dell Akbar Khan was currently investigating the cause of the national squad’s failure in Singapore.

He added that he and team captain Mohd Aidil Zafuan Abdul Radzak were among the individuals called to provide statements.

Surprising that Yusof who was interviewed, gave a statement on the investigation when he is a party involved.

Even more surprising is that as a deputy president he is holding several keys positions in the body which is of conflict of interest.

Coaches who are appointed at all levels of national teams are interviewed and must have the relevant qualifications.

But whether team managers appointed are interviewed or have any football qualification or knowledge, or but merely appointed by their position they hold at FAM, is a question which need to be addressed.

And the need for two assistant team managers besides the team manager for Singapore, whereas only 24 players were selected and registered when they could have registered 30 players, is another question to be answered.

Should the assistant coaches resign as speculated, it is indeed going to force FA of Malaysia to answer more questions.

FA of Malaysia president Datuk Hamidin Mohd Amin has said that he will be holding a press conference on Friday to explain more on the national team’s performance.

It is indeed going to be an interesting week for Malaysian football.