Kogi and Cools sad to see Cheng Hoe go

National team newcomer M. Kogileswaran Raj admitted he is shocked by the resignation of coach Tan Cheng Hoe.

Kogi was one of the players who made an impact in the recent AFF Cup in Singapore, scoring two goals in four appearances in Singapore.

The 23-year-old Petaling Jaya City player said he is grateful for the chance given by Cheng Hoe to don the national jersey.

“Everyone knows coach Tan as one of the top coaches in the region but he is also one of the nicest people I know.

“On and off the pitch he’s such a kind person and always respected the players.

“It’s sad to see him resign… he gave me a chance to play for the national team after I last played for Malaysia in 2018.

“I wish I could have done better to repay his faith in me.

“We tried to win all our matches but unfortunately the other teams were better, but this is normal in football.

“The coach knows what is best for him and we have to respect his decision to resign.

“However, I hope he doesn’t take too long to make his return to Malaysian football.”

Meanwhile, defender Dion Cools feels that the national players should shoulder some of the blame for Malaysia’s AFF Cup failure.

The Midtjylland player felt that Cheng Hoe had a good plan but things didn’t work out for the national team.

“It’s sad news, I think as players we need to blame ourselves, including myself.

“This is part of football but it’s not a good thing to talk about,” said Cools.

NST