Kim Pan-gon, head coach of the Malaysia national team, refused to overthink national sentiments when he was about to lead the team against the Korea Republic national team in the AFC Asian Cup 2023 Group Stage, Group E final action on 25 January.
This match marks the first time Kim Pan-gon, in his role as head coach of the Malaysia national team, will be facing his homeland team, Korea Republic.
Despite the encounter’s potential emotional and sentimental aspects, Coach Kim Pan-gon has expressed his intent not to overthink national sentiments. This approach focuses on the professional responsibilities and challenges associated with the match, underlining his commitment to steering the Malaysia national team through the tournament.
“It’s not about beating South Korea in the Asian Cup but it’s about Malaysia’s ability to compete with the best teams in the continent.” Pan-gon said with FIFA.
“When we have the opportunity to play against some of the best players in the world, this is a very good development for us. Of course it will be difficult for us to beat the favorites but against them is the best motivation.”
“Not only South Korea but also Jordan and Bahrain are clearly stronger than us,”
“We aim to win at least one victory to make the Malaysian fans happy. Our target is to advance to the best 16 stage of the Asian Cup,”
“It would be great if we win two of the four remaining qualifying matches. If we qualify for the third round, this will definitely be good news for Malaysian fans.”
“I want to take a step further in developing football in Malaysia. I want to see Malaysia in the top 100 in the world,”
Credit Photo : FAM
