Tan Cheng Hoe could move a step closer to writing himself into the history books as a Malaysia Cup winner as a player and coach if he guides Kedah FA past Pahang FA in their semifinal second leg match.
His Canaries have a 3-1 lead from the first leg played in Alor Setar. They will now have to deal with the hostile crowd at the Darul Makmur stadium with Zainal Abidin's defending champions ready to go on the offensive.
Cheng Hoe was in the Kedah squad that won the Malaysia Cup in 1990. He's excited at the prospect of winning it for a second time -- as coach of his beloved club.
The popular coach told the New Straits Times: "As a player, I was in the Kedah squad that were finalists in 1987 and 1988. I made the starting lineup in 1989 but again Kedah lost the final before finally winning it the first time the following year.
"It was a memorable moment for me and the others in the team. Never in my wildest dreams, did I think I would ever have a chance of winning Malaysia Cup as a coach. We are so close now."
Cheng Hoe was also quick to laud praise on his young charges who have made the steep jump. Four of his players are under the age of 20 and have impressed throughout their Malaysia Cup run to the semifinals.
Full-back Syazwan Tajuddin, midfielder Hanif Mat Dzahir, strikers Farhan Roslan and Syafiq Ahmad have all shown their capabilities in recent months, with several Malaysian Super League (MSL) clubs reported showing interests in their services.
While he is happy that Kedah's youngsters are earning praise, Cheng Hoe wants his players to keep their feet grounded and focus on the task at hand.
"Damion [Stewart] and Dickson [Nwakaeme] are among the best imports in the M-League. They will make a huge difference and we need to be wary of them." said Cheng Hoe. "I want my players to focus and do the job properly. When I arrived in Kedah, I only had small dreams but today I have big dreams. I want to help Kedah win the title for the first time since 2008."
If Kedah manage to defend their 3-1 advantage, it could give them a boost as they chase promotion to the MSL next season after a mixed 2014 campaign in the Premier League.