Tan Cheng Hoe "I'm quite satisfied with the result"

Malaysia head coach Tan Cheng Hoe expressed satisfaction with his side's performance following the goalless draw against tournament hosts Indonesia in the FIFA ASEAN Cup 2026, addressing media at the post-match press conference in Jakarta after a result that keeps Harimau Malaya unbeaten and top of Group A.

Cheng Hoe opened his remarks by praising his players for their composure against a strong Indonesian side backed by a passionate home crowd. "First of all, I would like to congratulate our players. They showed a great performance, showed good discipline, showed good character in the match," he said. "We knew exactly how strong the Indonesian team was, but credit to the players."

When an Indonesian journalist pressed him on whether Malaysia could have taken more from the match, Cheng Hoe was candid in his assessment, acknowledging near misses while defending the overall result. "As a coach, the result, I'm quite satisfied with the result. Of course, we created a few chances, we missed a few chances that we almost created the atmosphere that we beat Indonesia in their home ground," he explained. "But of course, we still have room for improvement, and we like to take this opportunity to play in this kind of atmosphere and compete with Indonesia. We knew exactly how good Indonesia's team was."

The head coach highlighted his side's control during the second period despite the tactical challenge of facing a reduced Indonesian side. "In the second half, we had good control of the game, we created a few chances. Sometimes in football it's a little bit difficult to play against 10 men, because 10 men make a different way of tactical playing—they sit deep and have more contact. But I'm still very happy with our players playing the way we wanted to play, very calm, having very good moments to score goals."

Asked about his decision to introduce Paulo Josue and Fergus Tierney in place of Faisal Halim and another forward in a bid to go more direct, Cheng Hoe explained the tactical rationale behind the change. "We will see how the players' condition is after playing two tough matches, they need a good recovery. We need to analyse what is the best for the team and what is the best players to play against Singapore," he said. "The decision to change the player is more like we want to get the goal quicker rather than holding in the midfield. Of course, Faisal Halim was playing well—we will wait and see how the condition of this player is. We are ready to play against Singapore."

Reflecting on the difficulty of breaking down Indonesia even with a numerical advantage, Cheng Hoe offered generous praise for the hosts' defensive organization while pointing to their attacking quality as well. "We knew that Indonesia not only have good defensive players, they also have good attacking players. After the second half, we could see the defending, the defensive, was really good in discipline, really good in organising—very hard, very difficult for us to break through to get a goal."

On the influence of his Johor Darul Ta'zim contingent within the squad, Cheng Hoe acknowledged their on-field chemistry while stressing a team-first philosophy. "With the advantage from the JDT players playing together, the chemistry, the understanding really gives us an advantage. But of course, football we need to play as a team, not only JDT players—I focus on the team performance."

Looking ahead to Malaysia's decisive final group match, Cheng Hoe acknowledged the significance of the result against Indonesia while cautioning that a fresh challenge awaits against Singapore. "From this match, I think our players gained the experience, gained the confidence, gained so many moments as a team. We still have a tough game playing against Singapore," he said. "As we said, it's a Causeway derby—we know playing against Singapore will be another tough match. But I'm sure after gaining this good result against Indonesia, we are ready."

The head coach also addressed the logistical demands of the tight tournament schedule, acknowledging the travel to Bandung as a factor his team must manage without using it as an excuse. "We have a tough time also—we have to travel to Bandung. It's not an excuse, but sometimes in football you need a good recovery, good preparation, and we are ready to play against Singapore."

Credit Photo : FAM