Supporters save coach’s wife in van from angry Vietnamese fans

HANOI: A group of brave Malaysian supporters, including Ultras Malaya, saved the wife of national coach Tan Cheng Hoe while she was trying to make her way into the My Dinh Stadium here on Saturday.

In the 7pm incident, Jocelyn Tan, together with family members of Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) president Datuk Hamidin Amin, were in a 16seater van that had rammed a group of Vietnamese fans while they were stuck in a traffic congestion outside the stadium.

The incident occurred after the van they were traveling in failed to keep up with the outriders escorting the vehicle.

Recalling the incident, Jocelyn said a group of Ultras Malaya supporters protected the van from the Vietnamese fans, who were angry that the vehicle was blocking them from making their way into the stadium.

“I would like to thank the Ultras Malaya for protecting us and also making sure we had a safe passage into the stadium. I felt very touched,” said Jocelyn, who was accompanying her husband for the first time in an away match.

“Although we were trapped for nearly 30 minutes, the Ultras Malaya made us feel safe.”

Meanwhile, an Ultras Malaya member, Faizal Osman, said he tried to help the moment he knew Jocelyn was in the van along with Hamidin’s family.

“When we knew the family of the FAM president was inside the van, we immediately tried to keep the Vietnamese fans away from the vehicle.

“Luckily, nobody was injured. There was shoving and pushing, and some got hit by bottles.

“But we thought of it as our duty because they are our people, and what more if the family of the FAM president was in the van as well.

“We tried to make way for them to travel into the stadium, and in the end, succeeded.”

I would like to thank the Ultras Malaya for protecting us and also making sure we had a safe passage into the stadium. I felt very touched. JOCELYN TAN

Wife of national coach