KUALA LUMPUR – Harimau Malaya supporters should stick by the national football team through thick and thin, but criticism for lack of passion and commitment on the pitch will be accepted, said head coach Kim Pan-gon.
Ahead of their Tier 1 International friendly match against Cambodia tomorrow at Bukit Jalil National Stadium, Pan-gon said external criticism does not worry him too much.
“We will surely accept it if we are criticised for not having passion, professionalism, and that the players have given up.
“But if the result is not what we wanted, we have to accept it together and suffer together, then think about how we can develop further moving forward,” he said yesterday at the pre-match press conference.
Pan-gon said for fans, sticking by their national team through tough times means just as much as celebrating during the good times as well.
“Win or lose, we are one nation under the name of Malaysia. When we win, it is something to be proud of and everyone celebrates together.
“But if the players have given their all on the pitch, then sometimes that is more important than the results,” said the 53-year-old South Korean.
For the match tomorrow, Pan-gon said to expect several new faces and youngsters to make their appearance.
He said the most important aspect for the debutantes will be to maintain consistency and to play with the Malaysian DNA they have been around over the last week in the training camp.
“I do not want to put pressure on them, but we will see some new faces tomorrow during the match.
“It is their chance to show us what they bring to the team and prove it to us and themselves.”
Pan-gon recently called up U-23 player Aliff Izwan Yuslan to join the training camp, replacing Terengganu FC winger Mohd Faiz Mohd Nasir who was dropped due to health issues.
Meanwhile, Cambodia’s head coach Ryu Hirose said the friendly match would serve as good preparation for his side as time factor played a role in their training routine, with the Cambodian Premier League only ending last Saturday.
“We only had a short time, but we trained well and made sure everything was okay in the team.
“We had planned to play more friendly matches before the start of the AFF Cup but unfortunately the plans did not go through. So, this match will be our preparation and we will return home to prepare for the tournament,” he said.
Malaysia is drawn in Group B together with Myanmar who they will play on December 21, Laos (December 24), Vietnam (December 27), and Singapore (January 3).
Cambodia are in Group A with Thailand, Philippines, Indonesia, and Brunei. – The Vibes, December 8, 2022
