PUTRAJAYA – The Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) is satisfied with the condition of the Bukit Jalil National Stadium field which will be used for an upcoming World Cup/Asian Cup qualifiers match.
The fourth Group D match of the second round of the World Cup 2026/Asian Cup 2027 Qualifiers against Oman will take place on March 26.
FAM secretary-general Datuk Noor Azman Rahman said he understood the frustration expressed by Harimau Malaya head coach Kim Pan-gon recently, but discussions with the Malaysia Stadium Corporation (PSM) showed there was enough time for restoration.
“He (Pan-gon) was worried about the current situation during our visit to the stadium, but the contractor has committed to restore the pitch in two weeks.
“We visited once (March 7) and were 100% satisfied.
“When the visit was held, FAM president Datuk Hamidin Mohd Amin, who was also present, did not see a problem because there was still time,” he told reporters after attending the 10th Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Women’s Football Day Celebration Ceremony at Putrajaya Equestrian Park this morning.
Pan-gon previously expressed his concern with the condition of the stadium pitch after conducting an inspection with Hamidin, PSM chairman Datuk Hans Isaac and his coaching staff on March 7.
The state of Bukit Jalil National Stadium’s field became a hot debate before when the Harimau Malaya home ground became the venue for several concerts.
Harimau Malaya began centralised training at Wisma FAM on March 8 in preparation for the third Group D match against Oman in Muscat on March 21, before returning for the fourth match at Bukit Jalil, five days later.
After the two matches, Malaysia, ranked 132 in the world, will meet Kyrgyzstan on June 6 and return to Malaysia to meet Taiwan in Bukit Jalil on June 11.
Malaysia, well on their way to qualifying for the third round of World Cup/Asian Cup qualifiers for the first time, are currently leading Group D by three points over Oman.
Pan-gon’s men recorded two wins against Kyrgyzstan (4-3) and Taiwan (1-0) last year to top the group table, while second-placed Oman share points with Kyrgyzstan, while Taiwan are in last place with no points. – March 10, 2024