NATIONAL head coach Kim Pan Gon praised the outstanding performance of Harimau Malaya as they secured a 3-3 draw against two-time champions South Korea in their last Group E match of the 2023 Asian Cup at Al Janoub Stadium here.
The 54-year-old South Korean also thanked the Malaysian government, the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM), clubs and local supporters for their unconditional support towards his side.
Pan Gon acknowledged the difficulty in motivating his players ahead of tonight’s match against the Taegeuk Warriors after running out of contention for the round of 16.
“For us, a fantastic result. It was a great game and I’m grateful to all the players. It was very difficult to motivate the players for this game actually because we failed to go to the round of 16 but we tried to tell the players that we’re facing Asia's top team, Premier League top scorer and Bundesliga defender. So it’s a great challenge.
“I’m very proud of my players. We struggled in the first half but we came back in the second half. The equaliser at the end is an amazing result for us. Korea is top quality; you can see from the possession stats. We will gain a lot from this experience,” he told a post-match press conference.
Commenting on the opponents, Pan Gon said: “We found some Korean weak points but given our level, it was not easy to exploit. I fully respect the Korean team. It was very tough and cannot be compared to our first two games. Teams can struggle sometimes against teams who play compactly but hopefully, Korea can go far,” he said.
In the thrilling match that kept fans on the edge of their seats, Malaysia pulled off the remarkable draw against South Korea, led by German coach Jurgen Klinsmann, when substitute Romel Morales found the net at the end of 15 minutes of added time.
Midfielder Jeong Woo-yeong drew first blood for South Korea in the 21st minute before Malaysia fought back to lead after 17 minutes in the second half with goals from Mohamad Faisal Abdul Halim’s strike and Arif Aiman Mohd Hanapi’s penalty.
However, South Korea equalised with just 10 minutes of regulation time left through an own goal by goalkeeper Ahmad Syihan Hazmi Mohamed, before taking the lead at 3-2 through a penalty by Tottenham Hotspur star Son Heung-min in added time.
The draw against the world number 23 is not only a testament to Malaysia's football prowess but also a source of inspiration for the team to continue striving for excellence on the international stage.
The result meant South Korea remained in second spot in the group with five points while Malaysia ended the tournament with one point and the satisfaction of scoring three goals against one of Asia’s giants.
Bahrain finished as the group champions after beating Jordan 1-0 to amass six points but the defeat did not prevent Jordan, who have four points, from qualifying for the round of 16 as one of the four best third-placed teams. - Bernama, January 26, 2024
