PETALING JAYA: Selangor coach Tan Cheng Hoe admits it will be hard to find a stand-in for their suspended winger Faisal Halim after the Red Giants’ 4-1 win over Police in their Malaysia Cup round-of-16, first-leg match on Thursday.
The diminutive but talismanic Faisal, nicknamed Mickey, was suspended for a month by the Football Association of Malaysia for comments he made after a Super League match against Sabah on April 27.
In his absence on the left flank, Cheng Hoe used Mukhairi Ajmal Mahadi in the first half before trying out Aliff Izwan Yuslan in the second.
Both never came close to doing what Faisal has done in that position but Cheng Hoe is not fretting over the situation.
“It won’t be easy for any player to adapt to a position where Faisal has excelled in. The players I’m trying out, I just want to them to give their best as I don’t expect them to be capable replacements overnight,’’ he said.
In the game against Police at the Petaling Jaya Stadium, Selangor scored through Colombian striker Ayron Del Valle in the 57th and 64th minutes, centreback Harith Haiqal Adam Afkar (74th) and Yohandry Orozco (91st).
Police replied via Hadi Fayyadh Abdul Razak in the 25th minute.
Meanwhile, Police pulled off a shocking move by terminating the contract of head coach Azzmi Aziz by mutual consent just hours before their opening Malaysia Cup match against Selangor.
