KUALA LUMPUR – Selangor FC have confirmed the departure of head coach Tan Cheng Hoe, following a mutual agreement, after steering the club to the AFC Champions League 2 for the new season.
In a statement released on social media today, Selangor revealed that the 55-year-old gaffer, despite having an existing contract with the club, has decided to take up a coaching role with a Thailand-based football club.
“The club and the coach have agreed to a mutual termination agreement effective immediately.
“The club was informed that Cheng Hoe’s decision to leave is to pursue an opportunity as the head coach for a club in Thailand, and the club has received a compensation fee based on his contract.
“We would like to thank coach Cheng Hoe for his work at the club and wish him success in the future,” read the post.
Nidzam Jamil, formerly assistant head coach under Cheng Hoe, has been appointed as interim head coach until a permanent replacement is secured.
Under Cheng Hoe’s guidance, Selangor FC finished second in the Super League with 61 points and qualified for next season’s AFC Asian Champions League 2 group stage.
This achievement marked the Red Giant’s return to elite Asian football competition since their 2016 AFC Cup outing, where they failed to advance beyond the group stage.
The AFC Champions League 2 offers a prize of US$8 million (RM37.74 million) for the champions and US$4 million (RM18.8 million) for the runners-up.
The tournament will feature 32 teams divided into eight groups, followed by knockout rounds leading to the final.
The Red Giants have been on a player-purchasing spree with the signings of Nooa Laine (national player), Umarbek Eshmurodov (Uzbekistan), Ronnie Fernandez (Chile), and Azim Al Amin (national U-23 player) with transfer market values estimated between RM500,000 to RM800,000, according to www.transfermarkt.com. – February 28, 2024