By Yasmin Ramlan
SHAH ALAM, March 12 — State executive councillor for sports Mohd Najwan Halimi is hopeful that Selangor FC’s new head coach, who is expected to be announced within a week, can pick up where his predecessor left off and deliver results in the upcoming campaign.
According to Najwan, the search for Tan Cheng Hoe’s successor is still ongoing, with a review process underway involving four shortlisted candidates, three of whom are foreigners.
“I’m optimistic that the new leadership will effectively carry out its responsibilities for Selangor FC and achieve success in the upcoming season.
“While acknowledging that there will be huge challenges ahead, the Selangor team is always prepared,” he said in a press conference after the Selangor Ramadan Festival (Festira) 2024 launch at SACC Mall, here, today.
On February 28, the Red Giants announced that they had reached a mutual agreement with Tan to terminate his contract with immediate effect.
The 56-year-old has since been appointed as the new head coach of Thai League club Police Tero FC.
His assistant, Nidzam Jamil, oversees Selangor FC as interim head coach as the club management searches for a replacement.
Najwan expressed confidence that the players will maintain their spirit and strive to perform at their best despite the change in manager.
“The current coach is capable of carrying out the responsibilities effectively and has demonstrated dedication in ensuring Selangor’s top performance,” he said.
Since his appointment in September 2022, Tan has played a pivotal role in Selangor FC’s achievements, leading the team to runners-up in the 2022 Malaysia Cup and 2023 Malaysia Super League.
The latter has earned the team automatic qualification to the AFC Champions League 2 for the 2024/2025 season, Asia’s new second-tier club football tournament organised by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), replacing the old AFC Cup.
Previously, when announcing the Unity Government coalition’s manifesto ahead of the state election last year, Menteri Besar Dato’ Seri Amirudin Shari had set several ambitious targets for Selangor FC.
These include winning the elusive AFC Cup by 2027 and securing victories in three major local football competitions by 2025, namely the Malaysia Cup, Super League and Sukma Games.
Amirudin said this would be done via a comprehensive plan that includes top-notch talent recruitment and training and by empowering the state’s football academy, Akademi Bolasepak Merah Kuning.
