Following the abrupt resignation of their head coach Nidzam Jamil, the Selangor Super League team have found themselves in an uneasy situation.
The Selangor FC management didn't want to let Nidzam go and tried hard to keep him.
More so when Nidzam had orchestrated Selangor's rousing 2-1 win over South Korean side Jeonbuk Motor in an Asian Champions League 2 (ACL2) match recently.
Technical Committee chairman Datuk Seri Shahril Mokhtar revealed that despite much persuasion by the team management, the 44-year-old coach refused to stay on.
Nidzam also turned down the offer of a technical director role.
"We explored every avenue to retain him. However, we respect his choice to move on," said Shahril.
Nidzam's time at Selangor was an unhappy one as he came under much pressure from fans with the hashtag #NJOUT gaining traction on social media following their 3-0 league loss at home to Johor Darul Ta'zim on Sunday.
Selangor, who are second in the table, now trail JDT by eight points after dropping five points in their last two matches. And JDT have a game in hand.
For tomorrow's league match against Kedah at Darul Aman Stadium, Selangor will turn to caretaker coach Abdi Hassan.
The situation gets critical for the Red Giants who have to prepare for two vital ACL2 matches — against South Korea's Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors on Nov 7 and against Thailand's Muangthong United on Nov 28.
"This is a challenging situation for the club. We have a tight timeline and have to make the right decision swiftly," said Shahril.
Another issue for Selangor is that Abdi has yet to get a professional coaching licence as they search for a qualified replacement. "We're looking at every possible candidate, local and foreign. The search is on for the right fit."
When asked whether former Selangor head coach Tan Cheng Hoe, who resigned earlier this year, will make a return, Shahril dismissed the talk. Speculation is rife that Kedah's Nafuzi Zain and Sabah's Datuk Ong Kim Swee have emerged as the frontrunners for the Selangor job.
"Nafuzi is one of the options we're considering," said Shahril.