What Next for Harimau Malaya? Cheng Hoe's Interim Spell Reaches Its Last Game as FAM Weighs the Coaching Set-Up
Tan Cheng Hoe's interim job reaches its last match against Vietnam today. FAM president Ab Ghani Hassan has said the coaching set-up will be reviewed.
Whatever happens against Vietnam this evening, Malaysia's 5pm third-place play-off at the Gelora Bung Karno Stadium in Jakarta is the last match of the FIFA ASEAN Cup for Harimau Malaya. It may also be Tan Cheng Hoe's last match in his current role.
Cheng Hoe was brought in as interim head coach in June. Now the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) has to decide who leads the national team through a year that could shape its next two major qualifying campaigns.
How the interim job came about
FAM appointed Cheng Hoe in June 2026 after ending Peter Cklamovski's contract. It was a return to a familiar job: Cheng Hoe had a previous spell as Harimau Malaya head coach starting in December 2017.
He had little time to prepare for the ASEAN Championship (24 July to 26 August), which ended in the semi-finals when Vietnam won 4-0 on aggregate.
A mixed FIFA ASEAN Cup
The FIFA ASEAN Cup in Indonesia was better on the pitch but just as painful in the end. Malaysia beat Bangladesh 3-0, drew 0-0 with hosts Indonesia and beat Singapore 6-0. That meant nine goals scored and none conceded in Group A.
They still missed the final. Indonesia finished level on points and goal difference and went through on goals scored, 11 to nine. FAM has since asked FIFA to explain why stoppage time in Indonesia's 9-2 win over Bangladesh was changed from two minutes to seven. Indonesia scored their last two goals during that added time. FAM has said it is asking for procedural clarity, not challenging the result. As of Monday morning, no FIFA reply had been reported.
What Cheng Hoe and FAM have said
Before the tournament, Cheng Hoe made it clear the decision was not his. "I leave it to the management or FAM because my responsibility is for the FIFA ASEAN Cup," he said in September. "Most importantly, we want to regain the confidence of the fans and build for the future."
Newly elected FAM president Datuk Ab Ghani Hassan has kept his options open. In mid-September he said FAM "will definitely look into changing the coaching set-up", and suggested that Cheng Hoe's results at the FIFA ASEAN Cup could affect whether he stays.
Ab Ghani has also set a bigger target. "We want to see Harimau Malaya competing at the highest level in Asia, and that is the challenge we have to take on," he said, adding that fans need to see real progress within the next two and a half years.
Why the FIFA ranking matters
The new coach's first job will be the FIFA ranking. Malaysia were 136th going into the tournament, and Ab Ghani wants the team inside the world's top 100. The draws for 2030 World Cup and 2031 Asian Cup qualifying are expected in June, and he wants Malaysia in Pot 2 rather than Pot 3 or Pot 4.
"Whether we win or draw in the FIFA ASEAN Cup, we will still earn points, although not many, but we need those points," he said. FAM has also said it plans to arrange more international friendlies.
A first win over Vietnam since 2014 tonight would help Malaysia's ranking, and it would give Cheng Hoe a strong result to finish on before FAM makes its call.
Key takeaways
- Tonight's third-place match against Vietnam is the last game of Tan Cheng Hoe's interim spell at the FIFA ASEAN Cup.
- FAM president Ab Ghani Hassan has said the coaching set-up will be reviewed.
- Malaysia scored nine goals and conceded none in Group A but missed the final on goals scored.
- FAM's priority is the FIFA ranking ahead of the June draws for 2030 World Cup and 2031 Asian Cup qualifying.
FAQ
Is Tan Cheng Hoe the permanent Malaysia coach? No. He was appointed interim head coach in June 2026 after Peter Cklamovski's contract was ended. FAM has not announced a long-term decision.
Has FIFA answered FAM's complaint about stoppage time? As of Monday morning, no FIFA response had been made public. FAM says it wants an explanation, not a change to the result.
What is FAM's target for Harimau Malaya? A place in the world's top 100 and Pot 2 for the June qualifying draws, with the longer-term aim of competing at Asia's highest level.
Sources: Bernama, Malay Mail, The Star, Scoop (via Newswav)