Players feel it’s unfair for Cheng Hoe to take responsibility alone

Voices in unison: (top) Zaquan Adha Abdul Radzak, Akram Mahinan and D. Kenny Pallraj (below) were shocked by Cheng Hoe’s resignation.

PETALING JAYA: Several players have described the resignation of Tan Cheng Hoe as national team coach as shocking and a tad bit “unfair”.

National midfielder Akram Mahinan was appalled by the news and felt that Cheng Hoe should not be the only one to take responsibility for the team’s group-stage exit in the AFF Suzuki Cup in Singapore last month.

The 28-year-old, who missed out on the tournament due to injury, said the criticism directed at Cheng Hoe was understandable after the team’s failure to reach at least the semi-finals but he hoped everyone knew the real picture and the struggles behind their preparation.

“The coach could not get the players he wanted, and the team had only between two to three days preparation before flying to Singapore. Even the best coach in the world would have struggled in that situation,” said Akram, who plays for Kuala Lumpur in the Super League.

“My question is – why must he quit? Why aren’t the people on top taking any responsibility? Until when will this continue to happen?” he questioned.

“It feels unfair,” he added.

Akram described Cheng Hoe as a coach who demanded discipline but off the field, he was jovial and always emphasised the need to be positive.

Captain of the 2018 Suzuki Cup team that finished runners-up, Zaquan Adha Abdul Radzak, saluted Cheng Hoe for taking the responsibility for the team’s failure.

The 34-year-old striker said the challenges a national coach had to face weren’t easy amid all the great expectations but the latter was responsible enough to face the team’s failure on his own. The Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) wanted the team to reach the final.

“The coach felt responsible for the results in Singapore and believed it was the right move to quit. For that, you have to respect him because he showed responsibility and accountability,” said the Negri Sembilan player.

“Coach Tan is someone who understands the players. When he gave me the armband, I knew the heavy responsibility, but he made it easy for me. We could communicate with him and air our thoughts without any issues. I wish him the best in the future.”

Another national player D. Kenny Pallraj said it was unfair for only players and coaches to take responsibility all the time whenever a team perform poorly.

He said it was time for the leaders in the association to take responsibility too.

“In 2018, we had almost two months of preparation before going to the Suzuki Cup. We went all the way to the final that year. Last year, we had such a short time,” said Kenny, who was supposed to be part of the 2020 team but pulled out due to a knee injury.

“Before going to Singapore, in October, we only had a one-week “warm-up’ stint in Jordan, and after that, nothing much. So it’s not enough.

“Also, look at the other national teams. They are more advanced in terms of facilities. A lot need to be done instead of just pointing fingers at players and coaches.”