CHENG HOE SEES BRIGHT FUTURE FOR HARIMAU MALAYA UNDER CKLAMOVSKI

PETALING JAYA, May 15 (Bernama) -- Harimau Malaya Technical Director Tan Cheng Hoe has expressed his pride in being part of the national team’s current transformation under head coach Peter Cklamovski.

Cheng Hoe, who returned to the national set-up in the new capacity last month, said his discussions with Cklamovski have convinced him of a clear long-term vision to elevate Malaysian football across all levels.

The 56-year-old former Selangor FC head coach said that the national team’s long-term growth hinges on the proper development of youth players, specifically those in the Under 23 (U-23) to Under 18 (U-18) categories.

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“It’s part of my job to assist the coaches in finding the best way to suit the national playing style. At the same time, we must encourage more young players to dream of representing the country.

"It’s not easy these days for players to break into the national squad but we as age-group coaches must instil that ambition,” he told a press conference to announce the Harimau Malaya squad at Wisma FAM, Kelana Jaya here, today.

Cheng Hoe, who guided Malaysia to the 2018 AFF Cup final when he was the Harimau Malaya  head coach then, believes that the national team is heading in the right direction under Cklamovski’s leadership and remains optimistic about the future.

Last month, Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) president Datuk Mohd Joehari Mohd Ayub announced Cheng Hoe as the technical director of Harimau Malaya, marking his ‘return’ to the national team after stepping down as head coach in early January 2022.

-- BERNAMA