Harimau Malaya coach search: where FAM stands before November friendlies with China and Yemen

Malaysia's national team has three weeks before its next matches and still has no permanent head coach. Tan Cheng Hoe remains in interim charge after leading Harimau Malaya to third place at the FIFA ASEAN Cup earlier this month. The Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) has not announced a decision. Reports linking Japan coach Hajime Moriyasu to the job have weakened over the past week. The next fixtures are two friendlies in Guangzhou: China on 14 November and Yemen on 17 November.

An interim coach with a strong record

Tan Cheng Hoe returned to the national team in June, after Peter Cklamovski left midway through 2026. Tan was already FAM's technical director, and he had coached the national side from 2017 to 2021.

His results since returning have been good. At the FIFA ASEAN Cup, which ended earlier this month, Malaysia did not lose a game. They beat Bangladesh 3-0, drew 0-0 with Indonesia and beat Singapore 6-0 in the group. Fergus Tierney then scored the only goal as Malaysia beat Vietnam 1-0 in Jakarta in the third-place match. It was Malaysia's first win over Vietnam in 12 years.

Tan said after the tournament that he would accept whatever FAM decides about his future.

The Moriyasu link fades

In mid-October, several Malaysian outlets linked Moriyasu, Japan's long-serving head coach, with the role. Youth and Sports Minister Dr Mohammed Taufiq Johari told Bernama on 15 October that the matter was "still under discussion". He said a full review would be carried out with FAM and other stakeholders.

Since then, the story has cooled. Scoop reported on 18 October that Japanese outlet Nikkan Gendai says Moriyasu wants to coach a European club when his Japan contract ends next year. Moriyasu is also preparing Japan for the 2027 AFC Asian Cup.

Who decides

FAM president Datuk Ab Ghani Hassan has said the decision will be made by the association's executive committee, not by him alone. According to Bernama, FAM has not ruled out hiring a foreign coach. It is also open to keeping a local coach if that coach delivers results. No timeline has been given.

November friendlies in Guangzhou

Whoever is in charge, Malaysia's next matches are already fixed. FAM confirmed on 13 October that Harimau Malaya will play two Tier 1 friendlies at the Tianhe Stadium in Guangzhou. FAM's fixtures page lists:

• China v Malaysia: Saturday 14 November, 8pm Malaysia time
• Malaysia v Yemen: Tuesday 17 November, 2pm Malaysia time

The original plan was two matches against China, but Yemen replaced the second game. According to the FIFA rankings cited by Bernama, China are 96th, Malaysia 133rd and Yemen 144th. Ab Ghani said the games matter for ranking points, which could help Malaysia's seeding for the 2030 World Cup and 2032 Asian Cup qualifiers.

Key takeaways

• Tan Cheng Hoe is still Malaysia's interim head coach, and FAM has not named a permanent appointment.
• Malaysia finished third at the FIFA ASEAN Cup unbeaten, including a 6-0 win over Singapore and a 1-0 win over Vietnam.
• Reports linking Japan's Hajime Moriyasu to the job have faded after Japanese media said he is aiming for Europe.
• Harimau Malaya play China on 14 November and Yemen on 17 November, both in Guangzhou.

FAQ

Who is the Harimau Malaya head coach now? Tan Cheng Hoe is the interim head coach. He took charge in June after Peter Cklamovski left.

When do Malaysia play China and Yemen? Malaysia play China on Saturday 14 November at 8pm Malaysia time and Yemen on Tuesday 17 November at 2pm, both at the Tianhe Stadium in Guangzhou.

Is Hajime Moriyasu joining Malaysia? Nothing has been agreed. The minister said on 15 October that talks were ongoing, and later reports said Moriyasu is looking at club jobs in Europe.

Sources: Bernama, The Star, Scoop, Free Malaysia Today, FAM