Cheng Hoe's decision was a sacrifice to the nation - Sathianathan

Football Coaches Association of Malaysia (PJBM) president B. Sathianathan said the decision may have shocked the Kedah football fans but Cheng Hoe's intention was noble, that of to help revive the image of Malaysian football.

Sathianathan, a coach just like the Kedah-born Cheng Hoe, in the M-League was confident that the decision made without any 'force' was a sacrifice to the nation.

"We cannot stop the process. I feel it is the right decision and probably aimed at acquiring better knowledge and experience when assisting Mario Gomez who is the National head coach.

"I don't think it was an easy decision to leave Kedah, but he must have done it for the sake of the nation. If he has decided on his ambition, we must support him," he told Bernama.

Sathianathan believes Cheng Hoe's presence in the National team set up under the guidance of Gomez would inject new blood and inspire the players to excel.

Cheng Hoe's ideology and expertise has been the reason for the meteoric rise of the Kedah team in reason years.

"As the president of PJBM, I am proud to see a coach with a tremendous track record being chosen to assist the National coach," said Sathianathan who himself was a former National coach.

Sathianathan therefore advised Cheng Hoe and the Kedah Football Association (KFA) to discuss and settle the issue amicably and in a professional manner.

"If Cheng Hoe still has a contract with Kedah, he need to meet KFA and find an amicable solution," he said.

Asked if Cheng Hoe can continue to coach Kedah and at the same time assist Gomez, Sathianathan said that would be impossible since being the National assistant coach involved a lot of work.

"The job of National assistant coach is a tough assignment. You will not only be required to observe and evaluate the performance of players but also travel abroad to check on the progress of other teams.