Fandi Ahmad's coaching will give greatest satisfaction to Tok Gajah squad

KUALA LUMPUR, July 21 (Bernama) -- To have the legendary Singapore striker Fandi Ahmad coaching the players in Sri Pahang FC will be the greatest satisfaction to the Tok Gajah squad if it ever becomes a reality, according to Sri Pahang FC chief executive officer Datuk Mohammed Suffian Awang.

He said Fandi, who has been speculated to be the squad’s new head coach, was not a stranger among the Malaysian football fans as he had donned the Pahang jersey in the 1990s and helped the team win the Malaysia Cup in 1992.

Mohammed Suffian also did not rule out the possibility of the Fandi working with his former teammate, the legendary Malaysian footballer, Dollah Salleh, who is now the team manager of Sri Pahang, which would bring about a very positive impact on the team.

“For sure, Fandi understands the Pahang football scenario and cultures, especially with Dollah Salleh in it. They have known each other for so long,” he said when met at the Malaysian Football League (MFL) 3rd League Partners Extraordinary General Meeting yesterday.

While admitting that Sri Pahang and Fandi had been communicating with each other, Muhammed Suffian said no concrete decision had been made so far.

“Right now, it’s just a speculation and if there is a concrete decision, we will announce it. Until it becomes a reality, we will stick with the existing (coaching) lineup,” he said.

Rumours that Fandi will replace Christophe Gamel as Sri Pahang head coach surfaced when Gamel’s contract with the 2018 FA Cup champion was reported to have been terminated by mutual agreement last week.

The fact that Fandi had resigned as Football Association of Singapore (FAS) head of the youth elite squad at the end of last month, also fueled speculation that he would join Sri Pahang.

Prior to this, Fandi had coached several teams including Johor Darul Ta’zim, Singapore national squad, Singapore Young Lions and the republic’s Under-23 squad to Hanoi SEA Games last May.

Meanwhile, Mohammed Suffian said several other coaches had also shown interest in becoming Sri Pahang’s next head coach.

However, he said the team’s priority is the FA Cup quarter-final match against Penang FC this Saturday, with Dollah’s guidance as a temporary coach.

Sri Pahang had a difficult path in the Super League with a fluctuating performance which left them in the bottom two positions with only eight points from 11 matches so far.

-- BERNAMA