FORMER national player Zainal Abidin Hassan, 60, has been appointed as coach of the Penang FC team, replacing Thomas Trucha from the Czech Republic.
State Youth and Sports Committee chairman Soon Lip Chee, who also sits on the Penang FC board, said Zainal signed up with Penang FC last night as the coach until the end of this season.
This is the second time Penang has turned to Zainal, having hired him to coach the Penang FA from May 2017 until September 2018. In November 2018, he became the head coach of Melaka United.
“We will review his performance after this,” Soon told a press conference at the State Assembly building where he was attending the legislative assembly sitting.
Penang, who finished third in the Super League last year, are now languishing at the foot of the 12-team table after eight games, with three draws and five losses. There are 14 more games left.
“We hope he can lead Penang to a good position after having guided Malacca to the semi-finals last season,” added Soon.
Penang FC general manager Jeffrey Chew also welcomed Zainal’s presence, saying the latter’s task now is to get to know the players.
“We give him some time. He needs to know the players’ strengths and weaknesses,” Chew said.
Chew said Zainal would have the chance to assess the Penang team when they play Selangor, Kedah and Perak in friendlies before the Super League resumes.
Also present at the press conference were state State Secretary Datuk Dr Ahmad Jailani Muhamed Yunus, state Financial Officer Datuk Dr Mohamad Farazi Johari, state Legal Adviser Datuk Norazmi Mohd Narawi and CMI deputy general manager Bharathi Suppiah.
Zainal is a noted player in the national team in the 80s and 90s, making his international debut in the 1980 Merdeka tournament.
Among the famous Malaysian players he had played alongside were the legendary striker, the late Mokhtar Dahari, the late great goalkeeper R. Arumugam, and former national skipper Soh Chin Aun.
At the state level, he starred for Selangor and Pahang in the domestic league and Malaysia Cup tournaments as an attacking defender and later a striker.
He retired from football in 1999 before going into coaching. Over the years, he has also coached a few teams.
Story by K.H. Ong
Pix by Ahmad Adil Muhamad and courtesy of Penang FC